


Ships That Pass In the Night...

by Chrisx1987



Series: Marble Angels [9]
Category: DCU, Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Assault, Depression, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Miscarriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-02-01 18:09:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12710196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrisx1987/pseuds/Chrisx1987
Summary: First Lieutenant Steve Trevor is an Omega who has to deal with unwanted advances and unsympathetic superior officers. But then he meets Diana Prince, an Alpha who stands for the cause, and she and Steve happen to enjoy each other's company... a lot.





	1. Chapter 1

“Lieutenant, this is the third time I’ve had you in my office this month. Do you know how many times we’ve passed you for promotion because of this?” Colonel Gardner practically barked.

Steve Trevor gritted his teeth before responding.

“Maybe if you’d tell your Alpha officers to keep their hands to themselves, I wouldn’t need to tell them myself with my fists.”

“If you have an issue with a fellow officer, you’re supposed to report it through the proper channels,  _ not _ start a brawl over it.” Colonel Gardner countered.

“I  _ have _ reported it through the proper channels,  _ sir _ . I have made no bones over the harassment I’ve endured since receiving this posting. Unless all my letters have been going to the shredder, it should be  _ very _ well-documented.”

“Son, if you can’t handle a little cat-calling--”

“She grabbed my ass!”

“Maybe you should re-evaluate what it is you’re doing in the army!” his superior stood. “We’re not gonna hold your hand and say ‘there, there’ every time an Omega thinks their fellow officers are getting too friendly!”

“You’re just gonna act like she did nothing wrong, aren’t you?”

“Captain Minerva has been here a long time. If she does as you claim, then why are you the only one to be reporting it?”

Steve clenched his jaw. The colonel had him, and there was nothing he could do.

“Get the hell out of my office, Trevor. If I have to see you here again, it will be for your dismissal.”

Steve walked quickly back to the Omega barracks. He gave his footlocker a furious kick before throwing himself on his back on his cot, staring angrily at the ceiling. His breathing was rapid and shallow, and he tapped his fingers in quick rhythm against the coarse blanket.

“Told you it was no use.”

Steve turned to see his friend Hal leaning against a support post just a few spots down.

“What would you know about it, Jordan? You’re an Alpha.”

Steve knew this was unfair of him. Hal had been a good friend throughout all of it, and had the decency to keep his hands to himself. But at that moment, Steve felt a truly presentist anger towards Alphas.

“I’ll let you have that one, ’cause I know you’re pissed.” he approached Steve’s cot. “When you’re calmed down enough, though, you might want to look at this.”

He threw a folded paper onto Steve’s chest, which the Omega unfolded immediately.

It was a photocopy on yellow paper, and read in bold, black lettering:

 

**END ARMY HARASSMENT NOW!**

**DIANA PRINCE OF THE U.N. TO TALK ON**

**HARASSMENT BETWEEN OFFICERS IN THE MILITARY**

**ALL PRESENTATIONS WELCOME!**

**REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE!**

 

“It’s tonight, on base, and I think our shifts just ended. You wanna come?”

“Who is she?” Steve frowned at the poor quality black-and-white photo.

“She’s Greek nobility or something. Ex-military. She’s been going around the world trying to shame army brass into acknowledging that harassment happens and that people are getting away with it.”

“So she’s an Omega?”

“Nope, Alpha.”

Steve stared at Hal.

“And she’s speaking up for Omega rights?”

“Well, yeah, but, you know that Omegas aren’t the only ones who get harassed, right? There was a time Omegas weren’t allowed in the army, and shit still happened. Besides, I’m all for Omega rights.”

Steve shut his eyes in a slow blink at his own stupidity.

“Yeah, I know. I just-- ugh!” he bolted upright.

“Fucking Gardner! And fucking Minerva! Who the fuck does she think she is that she thinks I should just bend over for her just because she’s asking!?”

“She’s an entitled little shit. I knew a lot of those in high school, believe me. Listen,”

Hal sat on the cot next to Steve’s.

“It’s gonna be a while before the talk starts. Let’s go blow off some steam in the gym, and then get changed up to go sit in on it. She’s been doing a lot of good. Leave a note with her, and things might start changing around here.”

Steve smiled crookedly.

“Sounds good. I wanna see how many times I can knock your ass down before I get bored.” he stood.

“You little shit.” Hal shoved him back down onto the cot as he stood and made his way to the door.

Steve snorted and quickly followed.

***

“Fuck’s sake.” Hal said, winding his shoulder as he and Steve made their way to a pair of unoccupied metal chairs in the rec hall.

“What?” Steve asked.

“Like you don’t know. Nearly tore my arm out of its socket on that last move.”

Steve snorted.

“You must really be out of shape. Alphas are supposed to have a natural superior strength compared to Omegas.”

“Pfft!” Hal said as they sat down. “You should have seen some of the twinks I trained when I was in the Air Force. Half of the new recruits I was worried about sending up in the jets ’cause I thought if ever they had to pull the eject ’chute they’d get blown away; and the other half I thought the jet might not take off with all the extra Jell-O they had packed into their ACUs. Half the time, the Omegas who enlist are stronger than the Alphas who get drafted because the little snots think ‘Oh, wait till I go through basic, I’m gonna get so jacked!’ But the Omegas and Betas, they know they’re at a natural disadvantage, so they train every chance they get. Pisses off some of the Alphas that are right out of high school, ’cause they still haven’t got it through their heads that their presentation doesn’t mean they’re owed any respect from the other presentations. My superior officer, Farris, she’s an Omega, and she doesn’t take shit from anyone. One snot-nosed pup tried to get smart with her on the first day of basic, he found himself running laps till he threw up. Didn’t pull that one again.”

Steve laughed at the image of Minerva being forced to run laps for an hour, exhausted and red in the face, while he’d be sitting back drinking a cold one in the shade.

After a moment of silence between the two while the hall filled up, Steve turned to Hal again.

“You ever think of going back to Air Force?”

“Hell, no.” Hal told him. “I left for a very good reason and I’m not going back.”

“What happened?” Steve asked, frowning.

Hal pulled his dog tags from under his shirt. He held them out to Steve, the front showing the name and other info engraved on them.

One read Jordan Harold, but the other read--

“Farris Carol?” Steve asked.

“My superior officer from the Air Force.” Hal grinned. “Couldn’t see each other while we worked in the same unit, so I got transferred.”

“Awesome.” Steve grinned back. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

There was a sudden hush over the room as someone tapped the microphone at the front on the temp stage. A four-star general Steve didn’t know stood in dress uniform at the mic.

“Officers and guests,” she started. “It is my very great pleasure to introduce Diana Prince, formerly of Grecian military forces. Her current position is as part of the UN’s A for O campaign alongside actress Emma Watson, speaking from experience about the very real issue of sexual harassment within the military worldwide, bringing it to light so that victims will feel confident that when they report incidents it will be dealt with appropriately. Ladies and gentlemen, Diana Prince.”

The general stepped back and clapped along with the rest of the room. A tall, tan woman with dark hair in a french twist walked to the microphone. She wore a pantsuit and stylish flats.

Steve swallowed as he took her in, practically feeling his mouth watering.

“Ladies,” she began. “Gentlemen, and everyone in-between. I thank you for showing up in such large numbers, for the message is one which should be heard by as many as possible.”

She had somewhat lilting accent, but spoke clearly held the room’s attention with little effort.

“For years, as I have travelled around the world, I have seen thousands of cases of sexual harassment between all presentations. And while it is strongest in cases of Alphas harassing Omegas, no matter who the aggressor is, it all starts with a fundamental problem: that the person doing the harassment believes themselves to be above their victim. It is a power trip. It is nothing less than a way of making the victim feel like they are less than them. And this is made worse when others around it make light of the situation. Victims are told a various amount of things making the act more damaging. ‘Get over it.’ ‘Stop being a pup.’ As though the harassment should be accepted as though it’s not degrading. And there’s also the victim-blaming: ‘What did you do?’ ‘Why were you there?’ ‘What were you wearing?’

“Let me be very clear: sexual harassment  _ is _ degrading. If you don’t like a person, that’s one thing. But the moment you show them that you hold no respect for them as a human being, you have demonstrated how much of an animal  _ you _ are. Yet even among beasts there is more respect. The breeder has the right to refuse a mate, and the sire will have to look elsewhere. So why is it that among humans, with all our laws and clear rules about what kind of language or physical contact is appropriate and which is not are victims constantly told to either just accept it or that they must be, in part, responsible?

“Countries have been reporting the numbers, and they are frightening. In Canada, an Omega has a fifty percent chance of being sexually harassed or abused at least once in their life. In the United States, one in six Omegas have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.

“There are some of you who are no doubt still agreeing with the arguments I brought up earlier: that harassment is to be expected, especially if the victim dresses or behaves a certain way. But I want you to think about it differently: what if this person was your mother? Your sibling? Now, I want you to go a step further: What if it happened to you? And Alphas, I want you to clear any scoffing immediately because it does happen to Alphas. And not just the ones you might consider weak. 

“There was an Alpha commander in the navy posted in Florida, and this was just last year, who was approached by a male Beta who propositioned him for sex. They were alone in the locker room, and the Alpha refused. This occurred a second time, and the Beta told him that if he didn’t agree, he would neuter him. The Alpha refused, and tried to have disciplinary action taken against the Beta. He was told by his superiors that if he couldn’t handle a simple Beta, then what was he doing in the navy? A week later, the Alpha was attacked by the Beta while he slept. He nearly died of blood loss from his injuries, and can no longer produce children.

“The problem began with the Beta wanting to exert power, because he believed the Alpha beneath him. This is not simply a pack hierarchy issue, it is one human being to another. No one should have that much power over anyone; not a mate, not a parent, nor anyone else.

“The second part of this problem was how others involved in the situation brushed it off, thinking it to be of little consequence. If someone is showing tendencies to their fellow soldiers that they have no respect for them, then how do they treat others elsewhere? How, especially in a position where, as soldiers, your duty is to protect others, would such a person treat those they are meant to protect?

“A look at this particular Beta’s history showed a long list of abused ex-partners, and bullying in high school. The signs were all there, but no one acted when the threat showed itself. Why?

“Friends, we have forgotten how to show solidarity for our fellow beings. No matter how the media may display it, when a person says ‘no,’ that should be respected. And if the harassment continues, then all of us have the duty to stand behind the victim and repeat ‘no,’ louder and stronger with all our voices combined, so that the abuser understands that their actions will not be tolerated. Commanding officers have a duty to take seriously any complaints reported to them by their subordinates, because if they allow for the abuse to continue, they will end up with a bigger mess down the line.

“Everyone has the right to say no, and to live their lives without unwanted advances. We, as soldiers, have the duty to protect our countries and their interests. But how can we be expected to do that if we don’t protect our fellow soldiers, our friends, our families, from those monsters which hide among us?

“Over the past five years I have been working with the UN to develop a helpline. I have pamphlets and cards with the number for you to call, if you or someone close to you is in need of help, and all the proper channels have been exhausted or you fear to use them. They are stacked on the table next to the refreshments at the end. Help is there, and you can become part of the wave of change which will protect those closest to us. Thank you.”

Steve and Hal stood and clapped with the rest. It was like the room was empowered from having heard her words, and the lifting mood was infectious.

“Damn, I wish Carol could’ve heard that.” Hal said. “What a lady.”

“Yeah.” Steve breathed. “What a lady.”

Hal looked at his friend, then smiled crookedly.

“C’mere.” Hal grabbed Steve’s wrist and started making his way towards the stage.

“Hal!?” Steve exclaimed as his friend dragged him. “What’re yo--?”

Suddenly, they were in front of Diana Prince, who had just stepped off the stage.

“Ma’am!” Hal saluted. “Captain Hal Jordan.”

On instinct, Steve saluted as well.

“First Lieutenant Steve Trevor.”

“Pleased to meet you both.” Diana smiled warmly. “How can I help you?”

“My friend’s been having problems with some higher-ups. We were wondering if you could help.”

Steve felt his face grow hot. Diana’s expression turned serious.

“I’m on my way to have dinner with the general. Perhaps you could accompany us and give us the details?”

“Uh, I-- um…” Steve swallowed, suddenly unsure. Hal bumped his arm with his elbow, but it didn’t restore his speech.

“You mustn’t fear about coming forward.” Diana assured him. “If it would make you more at ease to have your friend accompany us as well, that would not be a problem.”

Steve was yelling at himself in his head for his mouth to work properly.

“I can come with you--” Hal started, but Steve suddenly regained speech.

“Yes, I would like that.” the words came rushing out of his mouth. “Thank you, for the opportunity.”

Diana smiled.

“Excellent. If you’re ready to go now, our car is waiting for us through the west exit.”

Hal and Steve followed her through the door, where the general was conversing with a member of the security staff.

“General O’Neill, this is--”

“Hal! Long time no see!” The general shook Hal’s hand.

“Good to see you, sir.” Hal grinned.

“Please, no formalities. I’ve had young privates tripping over their words trying to talk to me all day.”

“No problem. Jack, this is my buddy Steve Trevor.” Hal indicated Steve. “He’s a First Lieutenant here.”

“Nice to meet you.” Jack O’Neill shook his hand next.

“Likewise.” Steve liked the man instantly. He seemed very approachable and down-to-earth.

“I’ve invited them to join us for dinner.” Diana explained.

“Oh, nice! Well, let’s all get in the luxury SUV the UN splurged for us.” Jack grinned.

Steve and Hal chuckled as they climbed into the back seat, which had been made to have rear-facing seats for a more open feeling, rather like being in a limo.

“So, Lieutenant,” Diana said, leaning across from him. “Could you elaborate on your problem?”

“It’s a captain on base.” Steve explained. “She’s about as lewd as you can get and not afraid to get handsy. Almost every time it turns into a fight, but somehow  _ I’m _ the one with an attitude problem.”

“Colonel Gardner seems to equate her behavior with high school teasing.” Hal elaborated.

“If only more people understood how serious high school  _ teasing _ can be.” Diana said seriously. “If more bullies were given the proper punishments at a younger age, they might better understand that their behaviours will most certainly not be tolerated as adults. But, ‘pups will pups’ continues to be allowed as though it excuses everything.”

Steve decided he really liked Diana.

***

Over dinner, Jack and Hal mostly spent the time catching up, giving Steve and Diana a chance to get to know one another.

“Must be nice, visiting all over the place while preaching your message.” Steve told her after she gave him a rundown of where she’d been so far.

“Tiring.” Diana said. “But interesting. Oh, if ever you go to Asia, don’t order squid unless it’s well-cooked. They make it  _ very _ fresh, and, while this is a rare occurrence, it’s possible to get stung by a sire’s sperm sack, and it  _ hurts. _ ”

“Wait, you got stung by squid sperm?” Steve grimaced.

“I had to chew exclusively on the right side of my mouth while my left side healed after they removed the barbs from my cheek and gums.” Diana used her hand to indicate roughly where it had been.

Diana hand-talked a lot. Steve found it entertaining to watch.

***

“So…” Hal said as he and Steve walked towards the compound after being dropped off. “Did you get her number?”

Steve grinned.

“Yep.”

Hal chuckled.

“You gonna text her?”

“Dunno, yet. What do I say? ‘Hey, how’s it going?’”

“Well, you know she’s gonna be flying out in the morning? Text her in the afternoon, ask her if she landed safely or something.”

“Sounds lame.”

“It sounds lame because you like her. You want whatever you say next to be impressive. Don’t do that. Take it from me, an Alpha in her position isn’t looking for the June Cleaver type who’s gonna always know the right thing to say.”

Steve scoffed.

“Good. Because June Cleaver can take her perfect little submission act and shove it up her ass.”

“What I mean is, the whole time you guys were talking tonight? You were sharing experiences and laughing. Like friends. Be her friend. You don’t need to prove you’re fuckable, anyone with eyes can see how good you look. You need to show you can stay up till midnight having an intelligent conversation.”

“You saying I can’t?” Steve challenged.

“ _ I _ know you can, but  _ she’s _ the one you wanna roll in the hay with.”

Steve rolled his eyes. 

“‘Roll in the hay.’” he muttered. “What kind of shit are you reading? R-rated Little House on the Prairie?”

“Well, Melissa Gilbert did grow up to be quite the cutie, but that’s beside the point.” They arrived at the door to the Omega barracks and stopped. 

“The point being that in the year I’ve known you, I’ve seen how you flirt, and it’s always been toying, like you don’t discourage Alphas, but you don’t give them an inch, either; they can talk to you for an hour and not learn a thing about you. But that whole time with Diana, you opened right up. I’ve never seen you so lit up.”

Steve couldn’t help but blush.

“She’s really easy to talk to.”

“So’s Carol.” Hal smiled. “She asked me out first, you know.”

Steve grinned.

“I think I like her already.”

“We had started talking over lunch in the mess one day, and then she asked me to meet her for drinks the following week. And we just talked. It was great. And then we started joking around on base, we got this really great working rhythm.” Hal sighed. “And then one day we ended up playing seven minutes in heaven in a supply closet. Huh.” he sighed again. “Well, then we knew we were in trouble, because dating someone in your unit is against regulations. So I put in for a transfer.”

“And that’s how I got stuck kicking your sorry ass around the sparring ring.” Steve grinned.

“One of these days, Trevor, I’m gonna be pinning  _ you _ to the ground.”

“Sure your girlfriend would approve?”

Hal cocked his head, a twisted smile like he was actually considering the scenario.

“Hmm. Would I have to worry more about Carol or Diana?”

Steve pointed at Hal.

“Wait, I’ve got an idea. How about let Diana have Carol, and we’ll run away together?”

Hal put his hand on his heart.

“Why, Steve, I never knew you cared!”

“Oh, Hal!” Steve teased. “Your rugged good looks have completely drawn me in! Let’s go to Walnut Grove and have ten pups!”

They broke down in laughter, clutching their bellies, doubled over.

“Would you two pipe down!?” a voice called from within the barracks. “Some of us are tryin’ ta sleep!”

Steve and Hal gradually slowed from their laughter to tired giggles.

“I’ll see ya tomorrow, Steve.” Hal told him as he went to make his way to the Alpha barracks down the hall.

“Later, Hal.” Steve said, his voice still full of mirth as he went inside the barracks.

***

The next evening, Steve texted Diana.

 

Steve: Had a nice flight?

 

He spent nearly five minutes feeling tense, when she finally answered.

 

Diana: Definitely thankful to have been in first class. I was late boarding and passed someone in coach who had a wide blast radius of terrible body odour.

Steve: Ugh… one of my uncles told me about the time he lived in Italy and would take the train at the same time as this guy every morning: the guy wore a very *expensive* looking suit, but smelled like death run over twice.

Diana: Gross. Even if you don’t use soap every day, it’s nothing to just stand under a stream of warm water and scrub your body with a facecloth, and it will keep odour under control.

Steve: Sounds like you’ve just found your next area of concern: encouraging people to use proper hygiene methods! :P

Diana: I’ll start writing my speech! ^_^

Steve: So… when do you think you’ll be in my neck of the woods, again?

Diana: Well, the tour ends in about a month. I could swing by to say hi when it’s over.

Steve: I really enjoyed talking with you last night.

Diana: As did I. :)

***

_ One Month Later... _

 

“Oh, shit!” Steve cried. He was way too close.

“It’s alright, Steve!” Diana gasped beneath him. “Nearly there!”

Steve didn’t want to take any chances. He reached between their bodies and took hold of Diana’s cock and began pumping as he continued his thrusts when--

“Fuck!”

Steve came at the same time as she did, feeling her come on his hand, her nails digging into his shoulders pushing him over the edge.

“Wow.” Steve panted as he pulled out, lying on his back next to an equally breathless Diana. “I’ve never topped before.”

“Well, you did very well for a first time.” Diana flashed him a shit-eating grin, turning on her side to face him better, sweat adding a golden sheen to her caramel features.

“Does that mean I get to do this again? With you, I mean?” he turned to look at her.

“I certainly hope so.” she flicked his nose playfully. “I’d like a turn, too.”

Steve laughed, then sat up on the edge of the bed to deal with the condom. Diana left the bed and went into the bathroom, and Steve heard her start up the shower.

Steve went into the bathroom after her and washed his hands at the sink.

“I don’t suppose there’s room in there for two?” he called out.

“Actually, for a hotel tub, it’s surprisingly roomy.” Diana replied before sticking her face out from behind the curtain. “Care to join me?”

Steve grinned.

When Diana later gave him an  _ excellent _ massage back in the bed, Steve thought that yes, this was definitely going to work out well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Diana have some more time to frolic (and fuck), but a storm is brewing on the horizon. Steve also makes a new friend who will seem familiar to readers of Clark's story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologise for the delay in this chapter, and promise that the one for my SuperBat fic is halfway done. I already have the next chapter for Len and Barry finished, but since that one was actually updated on time, I'm gonna wait since it hasn't been a week on it, yet.
> 
> Also, I had go back and fix a mistake in the last chapter. Long-standing foe of Wonder Woman, Cheetah; her full name is Barbara Ann Minerva. In a spot in the last chapter I called her Miranda instead of Minerva. It's been fixed, now. It's kind of confusing since I have three people whose family names can also be first names. In the army, people usually address each other by their family names, unless they're close, and so things sound a bit weird with some of the back-and-forth, here.

After another couple of months had passed, Steve realised it had been some time since Minerva had bothered him. At first, he was confused, because he still saw her on occasion across the mess hall. But then he realised it was only around supper time, never breakfast or lunch.

“Hal?” Steve leaned in and whispered one evening over supper. “Did Cheetah get switched around?” Barbara Minerva had earned the nickname for her fierce hand-to-hand combat skills.

Hal frowned, eyes focusing on an invisible point on the table, and then looked back at Steve with something like realisation.

“She must’ve. I’ve barely seen her in weeks.”

“I think she’s on graveyard shift.” Steve said. “I only ever see her at supper, never during the day.”

“Your wonder woman must’ve made some phone calls.” Hal said, stirring his beans. “Wouldn’t be surprised if Jack put in his two cents, too. It’s this kind’ve solidarity thing he’s got goin’. You’re my friend, thus you’re his friend.”

“I knew being seen with you would pay off eventually.” Steve grinned, gesturing with his fork.

“Yep!” Hal said, putting his hands behind his head, looking laid-back. “You’re in with the cool pups, now!”

Steve chuckled as he took another bite of his food.

Glancing up at Hal, he swallowed as he saw someone sitting at the same table as Minerva get up and start making his way towards them. Hal saw his frowning expression and turned to see where he was looking.

A blonde, chiseled-jaw officer Hal thought he recognised from the Alpha barracks was making their way toward them.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked.

“Guess so.” Steve said. “What’s wrong with the other table, Fordman?” he took note of the officer’s name tag.

“Whitney, please. Cheetah’s got an interesting idea of how she thinks Omegas are supposed to behave.” he explained, taking a seat. “I took the opposing view, and she didn’t like that. Seems to have beef with you, specifically. So I thought I’d make my view clearer by coming to sit with you.” He took a bite of the apple he had with him.

“Well, thanks for the support.” Steve said.

“Don’t mention it.” Whitney said through a mouthful of apple. “Talk like hers pisses me off. If she wants her Omegas so obedient, she should go to Nevada. You can pay for that kind of service.”

“That would defeat the purpose.” Steve said. “She wants them to  _ actually _ obey her; not act like it for the money. She wants me to kiss her boots because she thinks it’s my rightful place and thinks I should be grateful for it.”

“She should defect to Al-Qaeda. They’re all about that Alpha supremacy.” Whitney said before taking another bite of his apple.

“Doesn’t need to go that far.” Hal said. “Plenty of politicians getting called out for sex scandals, these days.”

“How about Catholic clergy?” Steve added.

“Ugh.” Whitney winced. “Yep. Let’s ship her off to the Boston Archdiocese. She’ll fit right in.”

Steve looked up for just a moment while he took another bite of his food, and nearly choked.

“Steve?” Hal frowned.

“Minerva’s coming.”

Hal and Whitney both turned to look and saw her making her way from across the mess hall.

“Just go, man.” Hal told him. “It’s not worth getting into another scrap.”

“So I’m just supposed to run away whenever--?”

“It’s not running away.” Hal assured him. “She got put on night shift to make it easier for the two of you to avoid a fight, and she’s trying to start one. Be the bigger man; don’t fall for it. Go.”

Steve hated it, but he knew he friend was right. He was pretty much done his meal, anyway, so he ducked for the nearest door, and didn’t look back.

***

Hal came to find Steve as he was getting ready for bed.

“Gardner wants to see you.” he spoke in a low tone so as not to bother any officers who were already trying to sleep.

“What’d I do this time?” Steve whispered back.

“Dunno, but I’ve been summoned, too. It’s probably about the mess hall.”

Steve rolled his eyes and groaned before putting his jacket back on and relacing his boots to follow Hal to the colonel’s office.

When they arrived, both Whitney and Minerva were in there, too.

“Trevor, you mind explaining to me this act of putting up your friends to interfere with other officers’ work?”

Steve licked his lips, wishing he had asked Hal what had happened after he left the mess.

“I’m afraid I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”

“Minerva says she was trying to report to her station, and that you asked both Fordman and Jordan to stop her from doing so.”

Steve looked to Hal, who swallowed while maintaining a stoic position.

“Well, sir, I just wanted to avoid another potential confrontation.” Steve explained. “Her route of leaving the hall was taking her in the exact direction of where I was seated, and Fordman and Jordan only wanted to make sure I had enough time to get out of the way. After all, sir, you yourself wanted me to avoid any altercations. Wouldn’t the best way of accomplishing this be to make sure we stay a minimum distance from each other? I didn’t stick around to see, but I doubt any distraction on Fordman and Jordan’s parts would have made her late for her shift.”

“You ought to learn your place, lieutenant.” Minerva growled.

“Which one?” Steve challenged.

“Captain, stand down.” Gardner warned, surprising Hal and Steve. “Lieutenants, Captain Jordan, dismissed.” 

They did so in short order. Gardner turned to Captain Barbara Minerva.

“Lieutenant Trevor managed to get some help from some higher-ups, friends I didn’t know he had. And they’ve told me that I’m to respect his wishes in regards to being kept as far away from you as possible, which is why you got changed to the night shift.” he stood from his chair and went to look out the window. “I think it’s juvenile, but my hands are tied.” he sighed heavily and turned back towards Minerva. “Now, it sounds as though no harm was done in this case, but, to avoid anything further, I suggest that if you can find another door to use, use the one furthest away away from Lieutenant Trevor.”

“Sir,” Minerva approached the desk. “With all due respect, should he even be in the army if he has to have his hand held because he can’t take a joke?”

“Different people have different senses of humour. I remember an Omega waiter who always served us when me and my friends spent off-time at one of the local watering holes back when I was a private. He’d flirt with the lot of us, and I’ve got a few pictures of him sitting in our laps. But, I guess Trevor can’t take a joke, so you’ll have to leave him alone. Besides, he’s been requesting transfer to the air force. I hadn’t given it to him up till now, because I felt he needed to learn to get along, here. But, he’s already proven himself many times as a pilot, and now that he’s pulled out his high friends card, he’ll probably be out of here in a few months. Just forget about him, Captain. He’ll be out of our hair, soon.”

Minerva sighed.

“Yes, sir.”

***

A week later, Diana was back in town and took Steve to an Irish-style pub for wing night.

“I usually purposely avoid wings on dates because of how messy they are.” Steve admitted when their order arrived.

“I think one should do the opposite.” Diana said as she tucked a napkin into her collar. “If you can’t stand the sight of your date eating messy foods, perhaps you don’t like them as much as you thought?”

Steve chuckled as he mimicked Diana’s napkin-bib.

“I never thought of it that way. We’ll have to go for ribs, next.”

There was a local band playing. They did a few originals, but mostly classics from the eighties and seventies, which got Steve’s toes tapping.

“Too bad they don’t have a spot for dancing.” Steve said, regretfully, after they’d finished their meal and washed their hands, each on their third beer.

Diana peered towards the front.

“There’s room.” she said. “Would you like to use it?”

Steve couldn’t believe it when he blushed.

“No one’s out there, though.” he stalled.

“Perhaps they’re all cowards.” Diana challenged. “Waiting for someone to lead.”

Steve picked up his beer, half-full, and started chugging it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Diana do the same, and then the both slammed their empty glasses back down.

“Keep up, princess.” he grabbed her hand and ran for the front, just in time for Bad Bad Leroy Brown.

They danced until two a.m., occasionally stopping for another beer, before calling it quits.

“I want to ride my bicycle! Whoo!” Steve shouted off-key to the night, as he and Diana tried to hail a cab, making the Alpha laugh much more loudly than she would’ve had she been sober.

“I want to ride my Steven.” Diana giggled to him before leaning in for a messy, uncoordinated kiss.

“What if I wanna ride my Diana?” he said, before giggling in turn.

“You wanna ride?” Diana said, grabbing his collar. “Show me how well you ride, Steve.” They started kissing again, interrupted by a car horn.

“You two lookin’ for a ride?” the cab driver asked. The couple erupted into fits of laughter.

“Yes!” Steve said, opening the back door. “We’re, um…” he turned to Diana, who stumbled into the cab after him. “Where are we goin’?”

“Holiday Inn, please.” Diana gasped, out of breath from the laughing.

“They don’t let hookers in there.” The cabbie said as they started off down the road. “You better be careful. Those tight pants might get you kicked out.”

Through the drunken haze, Steve realised the cabbie was addressing him.

“I went out on a date and I wanted to look nice.” Steve said indignantly. “I didn’t think I looked like a hooker.”

“No, Steven.” Diana soothed him. “You look very handsome. Don’t let the mean cabbie insult you. If you wanted to dress like a hooker, I’m sure you’d remember the mesh shirt and lipstick.”

Steve started laughing again.

“You mean like eighties Ken?” he shouted, grinning.

“Exactly!” Diana told him, still laughing, then turned to the cabbie. “He’s my date and I didn’t pay for him.” she said, trying to sound authoritative, but sounding more like a sulking child. “Unless you count the meal and the beer.”

“Man, does that make me a cheap lay?” Steve questioned.

“No, sweetie.” Diana tried to soothe him again. “It makes you an appreciative date. And I won’t be insulted if you decide not to have sex with me when we get to the hotel. That’s assuming we even make it up to my room without falling over.” she giggled.

“If it’s one of those rooms with a plush carpet, that might work!” Steve suggested.

Diana and Steve erupted into laughter again. The cabbie shook his head and tried to ignore them as he drove towards the hotel.

***

Steve was a little fuzzy on the details of what happened after they got to the hotel when he woke the next morning. He was naked, but couldn’t remember if they’d actually gotten around to fucking. He tried clenching his bum experimentally; it didn’t seem like anything had happened that way.

Diana was still sleeping, also naked, sprawled beside him in a mess of blankets, her hair a tangle on the pillow. Steve decided not to try waking her just yet.

He sat up, then immediately laid back down, fighting a wave of nausea.

_ Dammit. I gotta piss. _

Steve waited a bit until he felt less prone to puking, then slowly slid out of the bed to the floor, and very,  _ very _ slowly, managed to crawl his way to the bathroom. It was even slower trying to get seated on the toilet, but he managed it, in the end. He felt incredibly groggy, there was still a subtle threat of nausea, and his head was beginning to pound with the onset of a terrible headache coming on.

There was a soft knocking on the door.

“Steve?” he heard Diana whisper.

“Yeah?” he whispered back.

“I need to pee.”

“Just a second.”

He’d actually been done for several minutes, but been hesitant to move. After cleaning himself and flushing, he got onto his knees on the bathroom floor and washed his hands from there, then opened the bathroom door.

Diana was sitting back against the wall nearest the door to the room, and Steve crawled past her towards the bed, still not wanting to put any effort into standing.

“Order room service.” Diana groaned as she dragged herself into the bathroom. “Something easy, like oatmeal and fruit. And coffee.”

“Definitely coffee.” Steve agreed.

Rather than trying to climb onto the bed, Steve opted for sitting on the carpet leaning against the bed and reached up to bring the phone to him.

_ “Room service!” _ the much too cheerful voice grated on his nerves from the other end of the line. Steve cleared his throat before speaking.

“Room 304. Could you send up two orders of, like, something easy on the stomach, like oatmeal and fruit, and a pot of really strong coffee?”

_ “Two hangover specials coming right up.” _ the voice said, more subdued this time.

“Thanks.” Steve said and hung up, then let himself fall onto the carpet.

“Steve.” Diana had returned from the bathroom, also crawling, and gently poked him.

“Wha?”

“You should get back into bed. It’ll be more comfortable.”

“Can’t. Gonna spend the rest of my life right here.”

“The floor is lava.”

“Then I guess we’re both dead.”

“No. I’m in an invisible plane that’s shielded against the lava. Here’s your lifeline, come on.”

They worked together to get back onto the bed, ending in a heap on top of the bedspread.

“Did we do anything?” Diana queried.

“Nothing’s been in my ass, so far as I can tell.” Steve murmured.

“My cooch feels pretty normal, too.” Diana said.

Steve snorted.

“What?” Diana groaned.

“Cooch. It’s just such a funny word.”

Diana smiled.

“It is, isn’t it?”

Steve chuckled softly.

“Cooch.” he murmured.

They both chuckled softly a bit longer, then fell into a half-sleep, only waking when there was a knock on the door.

Diana forced herself to stand, grabbing one of the complimentary robes from the closet, her wallet from the heap of clothes on the floor, and made her way slowly towards the door.

“We’ve also included cool water, ma’am.” the bellhop explained.

“Thank you.” Diana groggily pulled a twenty from her wallet and tipped the woman.

“I’ll push it.” she stopped the bellhop from walking into the room. “My partner’s not decent.”

Diana pushed the trolley, using it for support, right up to the table, then placed the trays and pitchers onto it, before rolling the trolley back.

“Thanks again.”

“Anytime, ma’am.”

Diana took the other robe and sat on the bed next to Steve.

“Come on,  _ gliko mou _ . Time to eat.”

“Mph.”

“Steven Trevor, I will drag you from this bed if I have to.”

Steve gradually worked himself up to a seated position, and Diana draped the robe over his shoulders.

“‘Wassis’ for?” he mumbled. “No one’s here.”

“True, but bare bottoms on surfaces that cannot be thrown into the laundry or easily wiped clean isn’t very nice of us, and those chairs are upholstered.”

Steve shrugged and carefully stood up, tying his robe and following Diana to the table.

Diana pulled some Rolaids from her purse and took two, chasing them with water, before handing the package to Steve.

“I vote no liquor today.” Steve mumbled as the flavour of the antacid caused him to fight another wave of nausea from its potency alone, even though he knew that he normally would’ve enjoyed the fruity flavour.

“Mhm.” Diana affirmed as she drank some more water, trying to flush away her malaise. “Seconded.”

Steve drank two glasses of water amid attempts to nibble at the plain oatmeal. Eventually, he felt well enough to add some brown sugar, and moved on to fruit. Diana similarly took her time at pacing herself through her meal.

It took them over an hour to eat everything, but it was only when they felt their stomachs were sufficiently settled and lined with food that they went for the coffee. They had to microwave their mugs, but the pleasant aroma helped relax them further.

“What shall we do today?” Diana asked after some minutes of nursing her coffee.

“I dunno.” Steve said. “I’ve got four days off. I don’t really have any plans. But I’d love to spend my nothing-plans with you.’ he smiled at her.

“That was smooth,  _ agori _ .” she smiled back.

“What’s that word mean?”

“It’s a word of affection. Usually accompanied by  _ mou _ , which basically means my;  _ Agori mou _ , my boy.”

“Huh… and, earlier?”

“My sweetie.” she smiled at him.

“Aw.” Steve put his hand on his heart. “You’re sweet-talking me in Greek.”

“Is it working?” she smiled.

“Donchya know one of the sexiest things in the world is to be sweet-talked in another language?” he caressed her foot with his under the table, making her grin.

“I could be cursing you in Greek for all you know.”

Steve purred.

“But I bet you’d make it sound sexy.”

Diana reached to cup Steve’s cheek.

“ _ Palikaraki mou. _ ” she said, adding an extra roll to her r.

“Rrrowl!” Steve nipped at the meaty part of Diana’s palm, making her laugh.

“Were you still hoping for a ride,  _ glikou mou _ ?” Diana purred.

“Ooh, princess.” Steve purred back, leaning closer and placing a hand on her bare thigh. “Lemme have that ride. I’m a swell pilot. I know how to handle a stick shift. I’ll be real good for ya.”

Diana grinned wickedly as she took Steve’s hand and gave it a full lick in the centre of his palm.

Steve could feel his cock filling, dampness building between his ass cheeks. He fell forward to his knees and kissed one of Diana’s thighs, then looked up for approval.

Diana reached down to stroke Steve’s cheek with the back of her fingers.

“Show me how you handle stick shift, mr. big-shot pilot.”

Steve grinned and used both hands to stroke Diana’s thighs, up to her hips, tracing circles on her waist with his thumbs, pushing the robe out of his way, then scooted further and nuzzled the base of her cock, taking in the scent. Strong, musky, Alpha scent, drawing him in. 

Without any further preamble he took her length into his mouth, the heaviness on his tongue and the way it filled his mouth causing him to groan in satisfaction, his eyes rolling back in his head as his eyelids fluttered shut.

“Oh, Steve.” Diana moaned, as she began raking her nails through his hair.

Her moan coupled with her nails on his scalp was like a charge that went straight to his cock and he added more zeal to his sucking. He got a bit frustrated, however, when he saw he could not replicate the trick Diana had used with her tongue when she had sucked him; at least, not in a way in which he was confident he could avoid hurting her with his teeth. So, instead, he just tried hollowing out his cheeks more, adding more suction. Diana clearly enjoyed it, as her hips bucked forward and her nails dug into his scalp a little more.

Steve pulled off for a moment to get some air, but made sure to stroke her while he did so.

“Steve.” Diana stopped him just as he was about to descend again. “I want to be inside you.”

Steve grinned and placed a wet kiss to the tip of Diana’s cock before getting up and removing his robe.

Diana grabbed a condom from the box in her purse, then followed Steve to the bed, letting her robe fall as she went.

She laid down, first, then Steve climbed on and straddled her thighs.

“May I?” he asked, holding his hand out, and Diana smiled as she handed him the condom.

Steve carefully opened the packet and laughed.

“Guess we’re going with hot pink, today.” he pulled out the rubber and showed her, making her giggle.

He had to look for a minute to make sure he had it the right way, then pinched the tip and carefully rolled it down her length.

“Are you sure you’re open enough?” Diana asked, suddenly worried.

“Don’t worry.” Steve winked at her. “I like a bit of a burn.”

This didn’t instill much confidence in Diana, but then Steve was kneeling above her, took hold of her cock, and sank down onto it, groaning loudly. He was plenty wet enough, and he had loosened some from arousal alone, but there was a small bit of resistance as he hadn’t been worked up to it. Nothing he couldn’t handle, though.

“Oh, fuck.” he groaned, reaching up with one hand to scratch at his nipples absently, the other hand giving a few languid tugs to his own length.

“Steve…” Diana said, breathlessly. “So tight,  _ agapi mou _ .”

Steve chuckled as he rocked softly, not really lifting up just yet, but also clenched and unclenched repeatedly to keep the pleasure going while also giving himself some adjustment time. Diana stroked his hips as he rocked, biting her bottom lip and moaning.

It wasn’t much longer before Steve began to ride her in earnest. When Diana felt herself getting close, she moved her hand between the two of them, and Steve had to be mindful of stopping where her hand was to avoid being knotted. By adjusting his angle so he was leaning back on his hands and wriggling his hips from there, he got great stimulation on his prostate while making it easier to stop where her hand was. Diana soon reached out for his cock with her free hand and began pumping him in time with his movements.

Steve let out a choked shout of a groan as he spurted on Diana’s torso, but kept his hips moving until Diana spasmed, arching her back, toes curling as she, too, came.

Steve fell back, groaning as he felt her cock slip out of him, collapsing onto the foot of the bed, panting.

Diana discarded the condom and wiped her chest with a fistful of sheet before crawling over and pressing herself against Steve, one arm across his chest, kissing his jaw repeatedly.

“ _ Andra mou. _ ” she murmured between kisses. “ _ Androuli mou. _ ”

Steve turned so that for the next kiss, their lips met in a slow, sweet caress.

“What do those mean?” Steve asked with a smile. “I realise you’re calling ‘your’ something.”

She urged him to turn his head to whisper right in his ear.

“My man, my sweet man.”

Steve’s smile widened and he whispered to Diana in turn.

“My wonder woman.”

***

“What’s wrong, Steve?” Hal asked at breakfast one morning.

Steve looked up.

“I’m going on heat leave in about a month.”

“Why are you looking so glum?” Hal asked, surprised, and then his face dropped. “Can Diana not make it?”

Steve and Diana had been going together for nearly a year, now. It was natural for Hal to assume they would be spending it together.

“I haven’t asked her, yet.” Steve admitted. “I’ve never spent my heat with anyone.”

Hal picked up a piece of bacon and chewed it thoughtfully before replying.

“Have you ever gone steady with someone like you are with her?”

“No.”

“Do you  _ want _ to spend your heat with her?”

“Yeah,” Steve said quietly. “I do.”

“Then you know what you have to do.” Hal said.

Steve sighed.

“I know.”

***

“Um, Diana, I’m going to be going on leave, soon.” Steve said nervously. He hated talking on the phone, it felt awkward, like the slightest thing could be misunderstood.

_ “And you were hoping I might join you?” _ she asked.

“Well, it’s a little more than that.” he took a shaky breath.

_ “You’re nervous.” _ she said.

“It’s, um… once a year, military Omegas get a special leave so that they can go off suppressants and, um… restart their heat cycle.”

There was a pause.

_ “I see.” _

_ What does that mean? Are you disappointed? Hopeful? I need facial expressions! _

“It’s just, um… I’ve never had anyone with me for my heats before.” Steve swallowed. She waited for him to finish. “But… if you wanted, I would like you to be there.”

The silence that followed had him on the brink of panic when she finally responded.

_ “Oh, Steve.” _ This time he could hear the emotion in her voice.  _ “That’s… I would be honoured.” _

“Really?” he asked, doubtful.

_ “When does your leave start? I’ll book a plane ticket!” _ she sounded excited, now.

Steve chuckled, relieved, and started going over the times with Diana.

***

Around the corner from where Steve was making plans with Diana, Barbara Minerva was listening, and seething.

She knew who Diana Prince was. Minerva had friends in high places, too, and was able to find out how the orders to keep her away from Trevor had been issued. To hear Trevor talking to a ‘Diana’ was too much of a coincidence, especially when he said something about ‘sweet-nothings in Greek.’

Trevor thought himself so high and mighty it wasn’t enough to spit in her face, he presented for a rich snake who pushed for the idea that Omegas didn’t have to stay in their proper place.

_ You think you’re special, Trevor? Wanna go for the fancy life in the big house? Stupid bitch, Trevor. You really need to learn your place. _

Minerva had just about made up her mind to go teach Trevor a lesson when she heard another voice.

“Somebody’s got big plans!”

Fordman’s voice. 

_ Dammit. _

“Fuck off, Whitney.” Trevor chuckled.

“Gladly. Too bad you’re taken.” Fordman joked back, followed by Trevor laughing.

This was too much. Minerva turned the corner.

“So how come when I say it, it’s harassment, but it’s okay for Fordman to say it?”

Steve had been leaning against the wall, but straightened right up.

“Diana? I’m gonna have to call you back.” He disconnected the call and pocketed his phone.

“So? What is it, lieutenant?” Minerva glared at him. “Is it personal?”

“I know Fordman.” Steve said, frowning. “He jokes, but I know he wouldn’t do anything.  _ You _ , on the other hand, have gotten handsy more than once, and never once listen to me when I tell you to back off.”

“You can’t take a fucking compliment? Or you think you’re too good for me?”

“Captain,” Fordman stepped forward. “Last I checked, it’s against regulations to be involved with someone you have authority over or vice-versa. Up to now, as far as colonel Gardner knows, you’ve been ‘just joking,’” he used air-quotes. “Should I tell him that you’ve actually been serious about your pursuits? Because if it is just a joke, I think it’s gotten old. If it’s not a joke, then give me a reason, and I will make sure the colonel understands in no uncertain terms what your actual intentions are.”

Minerva saw the dead seriousness in Fordman’s blue eyes, and decided to cut her losses with a hasty retreat.

Steve swallowed.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, man.” Whitney turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll go to the colonel right now. I’m sorry we haven’t gotten to know each other better, but maybe this’ll help rush your transfer. You need to be away from her.”

Whitney withdrew his hand and sniffed.

“You know what the worst part about this is?” Whitney asked, and Steve was shocked to see him tearing up.

“I used to think like her. I never went so far as grabbing at people, but I didn’t get it when Omegas didn’t act like I’d been brought up to think they should.”

Steve frowned.

“What made you change?”

Whitney sniffed and let out a hollow chuckle.

“In my last two years of high school, the coach of my football team let an Omega join the team. He was one of those weirdos, wore weird makeup, had thick-rimmed glasses.” he gestured by using his fingers to make circles over his eyes. “Used to think he way gay, actually, because he went steady with another Omega for a while. One I’d wanted to go out with, actually. He ended up marrying an Alpha, though. Anyway, last game of our senior year, there was a scout in the crowd. He scoped this guy out right away. I used to make fun of him, an Omega on the football team. But he was good. Like, really good. No matter how badly we’d be doing in a game, he always managed to pull miracles out of nowhere. So of course, the scout took notice of him. Both of us, actually. He was offering us scholarship deals, it looked like it was in the bag. And then he found out the other guy was an Omega, and suddenly the offer was off for him. And I was pissed, because I knew what talent he had, and somehow it was like that’s what shattered my views. They were willing to let a perfectly good athlete go to waste because he was the wrong presentation. If he had been Alpha or even a Beta, the scout wouldn’t have batted an eye.”

Steve felt the indignation for this man, his brother in presentation he’d never met.

“So what happened after that?”

“I took the scholarship, he married a rich Alpha.” Whitney scoffed. “Fulfilled his  _ duties _ .” he emphasised the word with disdain. “If the scout found out about it, he’d probably think he’d accomplished his mission of not letting him into college.”

“So, how come you’re not off playing football?” Steve asked, slightly confused.

“Dropped out. Literally all the others on the team were exactly like I used to be, or worse, like Cheetah. It was like being in a room of mirrors, and made me look very seriously at the way I used to be. And I didn’t like what I saw. So I dropped out and enlisted. Thought I could make a difference.”

Steve smiled.

“Well, you have. For me, anyway. And I’m sure it won’t be the last time you make a difference for someone.” he ended with a salute.

Whitney smiled and returned the salute, and then the moment was broken by Steve’s phone ringing.

“Brown-eyed girl?” Whitney chuckled. “Not very subtle.”

Steve shushed him before answering.

“Diana? Yeah, no, I’m fine. It’s okay, I had backup.”

Whitney grinned at him and then left him to his call.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heat sexy times!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't hate cab drivers. The majority I've dealt with have all been very nice. Don't let my portrayal of cab drivers in this story make you think I hate all cab drivers.

Steve felt his nerves jangling as he waited for Diana to arrive. He'd already obsessively re-made his bed several times as well as found new spots to clean he had never thought of before. There were jugs of water, boxes of protein bars and nutrition shakes piled in his closet for easy access (thanks, Costco), and the military-issued birth control shots were in a tiny box fridge next to his nightstand.

This would be his first heat shared with anyone, and everything had to be _right_.

He perked up when he thought he heard a car slow down and ran to the window to check.

A cab had pulled into his driveway. The rear passenger door opened and Diana extended one long trousered leg after the other before coming to stand next to the cab, a laptop bag over one shoulder, purse on the other.

Steve ran for the door and scurried down the steps.

“Hey!” he greeted, smiling.

“Hello, Steve!” Diana grinned back.

“You made it!” he declared, feeling idiotic as soon as the words left his mouth.

“Yes.” Diana was still smiling, nodding at Steve’s enthusiasm.

There was too long a pause, broken by the cab driver opening the trunk.

“I’ll get your bag.” Steve bounded for the trunk, hoping to bypass the awkward.

Diana walked up to stand next to him as he removed her suitcase from the trunk, grunting slightly when one of the wheels caught on the edge.

“I can carry it.” she offered.

“No, it’s fine. You’re my guest. I’ve got it.” he smiled as he pulled his wallet from his pocket.

“It’s fine, Steve,” Diana put a hand on his to stop him. “I’ve already paid him.”

The pudgy cab driver shook his head and shut the trunk lid.

“Heat-crazed Omegas.”

Steve was about to tell the driver to go fuck himself, but Diana was faster.

“Excuse me? You will withdraw that statement this instant, or I will be having words with your employer.” She came to stand closer to the Beta, hands on her hips. Everything in her voice, stance, and expression suggested a quiet fury.

“Didn’t mean anything by it, lady.” he held his hands up in front of him. “Just pointing out that he’s acting kinda scatterbrained is all.”

“But to assume it has anything to do with his presentation or being caused by an oncoming heat is presumptuous and rude.”

“Okay, I’m sorry!” he didn’t sound like it in the slightest, and quickly got into his cab. Diana and Steve backed away so that he could leave, glaring the whole time.

As soon as he was out of sight, Steve turned to Diana and gave her a peck on the cheek, before saying in a low tone.

“As soon as you start going all ‘I’m gonna fix the world because I’m a badass with no fucks to give,’” he paused, letting out a small growl. “Makes me wanna present.”

Diana smirked at him, leaning her forehead to his.

“Plenty of time for that over the next few days.”

Steve gave another low growl as he felt his cock start an interested pulsing. They exchanged a slow kiss, smiling against each other’s mouths.

“Right.” he forced himself to back away. “So, um, this is my place. It’s not much, but, I live on my own, so, it works. I only stay here when I’m on leave, to avoid the commute to the base. I use the barracks the rest of the time.”

He led the way up the wooden steps, hauling Diana’s suitcase with him. He opened the door and gestured for her to go first.

“Um, I did up the spare room, in case you needed some distance, like, while I’m sleeping or something. I could put this in there?”

Diana let out a small smile.

“That was very thoughtful, Steven.” she took his right hand in hers. “But I am here for your heat, and that means being near you every step of the way. I wouldn’t feel right sleeping in another room while I can have you near me.” she laced their fingers together.

Steve pressed his cheek to hers and smiled.

“I’ll go put this in my room, then. And then I’ll show you around.” he pulled back, still smiling, adoration in his eyes. Diana smiled back at him.

***

“So, um, I’ve got water and stuff in my closet; basically, whenever I’m lucid enough to take in food, just hand me some protein bars and a shake or two. I was thinking we could go do a grocery run later, though, so that you can pick foods you want for yourself.”

“So, you’re telling me that you’re fine with my eating real food while you live off of rations for the next few days?” she arched an eyebrow at him.

“Um…” Steve hesitated. “Well, I don’t want you to have that to do on top of everything else. Anyway, like I said: I never have someone to help me with my heats, so rations is pretty much all I have the consciousness to eat, anyway. Can’t really cook while I’m in heat.”

“Well, that’s the bonus of having a partner nearby.” Diana looked at him, a serious expression on her face. “If I’m going to be taking care of you through your heat, it’s not just going to be to give you a knot. You’re going to eat real food.” She grabbed her purse.

“You mentioned grocery shopping?”

Steve stood to attention and saluted, a crooked smile ghosting his lips.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Diana smirked as he led the way to the front door.

***

Steve felt like he could eat like this every day by the time they finished their supper. Diana had made a savory spread of chicken, ricotta cheese, and greens cooked in olive oil and herbs Steve had never tried before, but they were delicious.

“Man, I’m actually feeling ashamed for sucking in the kitchen. This was amazing.”

“Thank you, Steven.” Diana smiled at him. “And you don’t have to feel bad if you’re not good in the kitchen; that just means I get to feed you.” she emphasised by picking up a forkful of cheesy greens and holding out for Steve to eat, which he did through a grin.

"Ahm defnitly nawt complainin'" he said through a mouth full of food, making Diana laugh.

***

Steve woke from a cramp low in his gut, drenched in his own sweat, way too hot for the blanket he had covered himself in the night before, his boxers already damp with slick.

_Oh, shit._

He checked his phone and saw that it read 3:43 a.m.

“Fuck.” he whispered.

He carefully slid to sit at the edge of the bed, glancing over his shoulder at Diana, still sleeping peacefully on the other side. He didn’t want to wake her so early. It was still the pre-heat, so he had a couple of hours of lucidity left.

Backtracking this train of thought, however, he knew she wouldn’t like it if he waited. She would want him to be able to talk her through what he wanted beforehand, not wake to a desperate mess barely capable of coherent thought.

_First things first…_

Steve took the birth control injector from the fridge and braced himself before jabbing it on the outside of his right thigh, shivering as a cold spread from the point of contact.

He quickly put the injector back in the fridge, then leaned back over the bed and gently shook Diana’s shoulder.

“Diana? Princess? Please wake up?”

She grumbled slightly before turning toward him.

“Steve?” she whispered. “What’s-- oh.” she had caught the scent.

“Yeah, sorry about the timing.”

“Not your fault. Give me a moment.”

She turned away and slowly sat up, stretching and yawning.

“Birth control?”

“Took it.”

“I suggest we brush our teeth while we have the chance.” she declared as she stood, her white silk pajama top only just covering below the curve of her ass, her tan legs going on forever.

Steve swallowed, staring at the sight of his beautiful Alpha, feeling some more slick dampening his boxers.

“Yes, ma’am.” he followed her to the bathroom.

Steve could feel his control slipping as every little thing Diana did seemed to call to him like a beautiful siren song.

After they finished brushing, they returned to his room. Diana turned on the bedside lamp and sat on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside her. Steve quickly joined her.

“Is there anything you would like me to avoid?” she asked him.

“Well, biting me, obviously. We’re not-- um…”

“Still too early, I understand.” she raised a hand to stroke the side of his face and he immediately leaned into the touch.

“Anything you like, specifically?”

Steve blushed.

“Um, well…” he swallowed. “I’ve always wondered... abouthavingmyhairpulled.”

Diana carefully moved her fingers through his hair until her hand was on the back of his head. It was short, but there was just enough to grab.

“Like this?” she took hold and gave a short, sharp tug.

Steve moaned.

“Oh, yeah. Just like that.”

Diana smiled and pulled him forward for a kiss, of which Steve drank desperately, whimpering as his need built.

“Don’t worry, _agoraki mou_.” Diana whispered against his lips. “I’ll take care of you.”

“ _Please_.” Steve whined.

Diana pulled back.

“Clothes off?” she offered.

“Mhm.” he nodded vigorously.

Diana undid the first two buttons of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, then scurried out of her cotton panties. Steve had gotten his shirt off, but then stopped to stare at Diana’s beautiful breasts and half-hard cock. He let out a broken whimper as more slick slid from his hole. Diana tugged at the waistband of his boxers with a single finger.

“It’s easier without these on, darling.” she smirked at him.

Steve quickly shucked them off and leaned in to scent his Alpha.

“Please… pleasepleasepleaseplease…” he whined, his rational thought quickly evaporating in the wake of his heat and the scent of aroused Alpha.

“Shh…” Diana soothed him as she rubbed his back. “Let’s lie back, _gliko mou_.”

Steve allowed her to bring him down beside her on the bed, as they scooted up towards the pillows.

Steve pressed his nose to her throat again, and Diana held him close, enveloping him in her scent as she pressed kisses to his hair, gradually working her way down.

She kissed along his jawbone, then down his neck, sucking gently at his pulse point, caressing down his spine with her left hand, while maintaining a grip on his hair with her right.

Diana marvelled at the difference in Steve. Normally they would meet at equal standing during their sexual encounters. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying the submission, however.

“What do you want, my love?” she whispered breathlessly, as Steve began rutting his cock against hers.

“Fuck me. Please.”

Diana kissed him tenderly.

“How do you want me, Steve?” Diana asked him patiently.

Of his own volition, Steve presented.

Diana suppressed a moan and began raking her nails down his back, just enough to make him tremble and groan.

“You’re so beautiful, _gliko mou_.” she murmured between kisses to his spine, “I’m so happy you let me see you like this. That you let me be with you during this moment.”

Steve gave a surprised gasp when she gave a lick to his entrance.

Slick was dripping down his thighs, now, and Diana continued to lap and nip at his opening, feeling a pride in the the incoherent sounds which bubbled forth from his mouth.

“Are you ready, darling?”

Steve could only nod furiously as he whimpered.

Diana started by breaching him with two fingers, which slid in easily, and scissored them around for a bit, wanting to be sure he was properly open.

Satisfied that he was, she withdrew her fingers and lined up her cock.

“Breathe, darling.”

Steve whimpered and gasped as she filled him with her throbbing member, making both of them gasp as he pushed his hips back, completely filling him.

Diana bit her lip as she felt him twitch around her, carefully bringing herself to an alignment which allowed for her to place her hands on his shoulders.

No matter the times they had fucked before, this was different. This was truly intimate. This was Steve trusting her when he was at his most vulnerable, and Diana thought she might weep for the swelling in her heart.

She held him by the shoulders as she began thrusting, slow and deep.

Steve whined in his throat, shifting his hips, trying to get more, but Diana held him from moving too quickly. She wanted to get him used to this, first. There’d be plenty of time for frantic fucking later.

She moved ler left arm to snake around under him, stroking over his chest, raking her nails on his nipples, feeling triumphant as he whimpered happily at her attentions, eagerly meeting her slow thrusts.

Diana could feel him getting impatient, moving with her every time she tried to pull back, and his sounds started getting more frustrated.

“Very well, enough teasing, dear.” she said before kissing him between his shoulder blades.

Using one hand to brace herself against the headboard and the other to hold him by the shoulder, arm across his chest, and started picking up speed.

Steve let out a long, satisfied moan and moved with her, eagerly chasing his climax.

When he finally did, coming with a broken, choppy groan, his arms couldn’t hold him up, and Diana rolled with him onto their sides as he twitched through his orgasm… _but Diana didn’t stop._

Steve’s satisfaction was short-lived, missing the crucial step in relieving his heat; needing to feel the stretch and push of an Alpha’s knot against key spots in his passage which would feed endorphins and hormones to make him fully sated and sleepy.

He was over-sensitive from his orgasm, but Steve rutted his hips back against her, desperate to bring his Alpha over the edge with him, the pleasure bordering on delicious pain.

Diana let herself go this time, throwing her head back as her pleasure crashed over her, but wasn’t done with her Steven.

After waiting for Steve to relax a little, Diana began wriggling her hips again, just a bit, not wanting to shift her knot too much.

Steve whined as he felt the knot pressing and rubbing inside him. It was more than he’d ever felt before and it threatened to swallow him. He began crying, but moved with his Alpha, chasing after what, he didn’t know, only knowing that it must be wonderful.

Diana took pity on him and began to pump his member as she opened her jaw around the gland on his neck, pressing, but not biting, the molars on the right side of her jaw directly on the gland itself.

Steve nearly screamed when he came this time, and Diana added more pressure on his neck, but was mindful not to clamp her jaw, the pressure coming from her whole head instead of biting on the flesh, spreading the weight so as to not break the skin.

“Alpha…” Steve whimpered quietly.

Diana kept the pressure on his neck until her jaw got tired, then pulled back and licked and sucked at the bruise which was forming.

“Sleep now, _agapi mou_.” she kissed his jaw, then began lightly massaging at his lower abdomen, knowing that, even though no pup would form, the action along with the bruise she’d given him over his gland would trick his body into releasing certain endorphins which would help him rest better, thinking he and his Alpha were mating and working towards making a pup.

Diana had studied some Omega biology and knew all the tricks towards helping her partner to have a more satisfying experience during their heat. This was the first time she’d actually gotten to use them, and was grateful she’d gone over her notes on the plane ride from Washington.

After sleeping for a bit, Diana woke to find Steve still out like a light, but her knot had gone down, so she made up her mind to go cook some breakfast. Just before pulling out, however, she lifted Steve’s buttock, and pulled out slowly while shifting so that she could get a good look as her come trickled out of Steve’s hole. The sight made her cock twitch with renewed interest, but she ignored it for the time being.

Steve would be exhausted when he woke and would need to eat and drink. She savoured the view for a moment more, then stood to go for a quick shower before heading over to start on breakfast.

When everything was ready and set at the table, Diana returned to the bedroom and gently shook Steve awake.

“Time to eat, darling. Come on.”

Steve protested at first, but eventually allowed himself to be pulled into a sitting position, and Diana sat beside him so he could scent.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relaxed during a heat, before.” Steve mumbled sleepily.

“I may have used a few tricks to help you, besides just giving you a knot.”

He looked up and frowned sleepily at her.

“Like what?”

Diana chuckled.

“Let’s go eat. I’ll explain.”

She kissed his cheek and brought him to the kitchen, where she waited for him to be a bit more awake before going over the science of mating hormones and how to mimic them.

***

The heat ended sooner than Steve was used to (a few days instead of a full week), but he wasn’t complaining. It gave him the opportunity to be a better participant for the rest of Diana’s stay during his leave.

“Mmm.” Diana was scenting him obsessively after a session. “You still smell sweeter than before your heat.”

“It’ll probably take a while before it goes back to normal.” Steve chuckled, amused by Diana’s heightened interest in his scent gland.

“You smell so good.” she purred.

“So do you.” he grinned, pulling back so he could kiss her.

“I’m glad my heat ended early.” he told her. “Those tricks of yours are great. I usually fall into a slump after my heat. Since I never have anyone around for them, I just kinda try drinking the feelings away. I’m glad you’re here, so that I can avoid that.”

“Oh, Steve.” Diana cupped his palm and kissed him. “I’ll make sure you’re beaming so happily when your leave ends that your fellow Omega officers get jealous.”

Steve grinned.

“Sounds like my kind of week.”

***

Steve and Diana prolonged their separation at the end of Steve’s two-week leave as long as possible. Steve even went through the airport checkpoint so he could stay with her until she had to board.

“I should be able to come back in a month.” she promised. “Just tell me when your next days off are.”

“Probably won’t be for another two months, actually.” Steve told her. “Normally, it’s four days for every six weeks, but following a cycle break, they make you make up for that.”

Diana sighed.

“I’ll see you in two months, then.”

Steve kissed her hand.

“I’ll be counting down.”

The boarding call for Diana’s section was announced, and the two looked at each other sadly. Diana cupped Steve’s cheek.

“See ya.” Steve whispered, and Diana leaned in for a brief kiss before she stood, grabbing her laptop bag and purse, and walked away, turning only briefly to blow Steve a kiss from the mouth of the gate, and then disappearing down the hallway.

Steve sighed, cleared his throat, then went to make his way back home.

***

Steve didn’t feel the same slump he normally felt following a heat, but he did feel down following Diana's departure. Hal and Whitney were quick to notice.

“She’ll be back before you know it.” Whitney tried to assure him.

Steve smiled, but his heart wasn’t in it.

“I know.”

Hal bit his lip thoughtfully.

“You should ask her to stay.”

Steve looked up with a snap, eyes wide.

“What?”

“Dude, you’ve been seeing each other for almost a year. You should try it; she can try staying with you, see how it works out, and see where things go from there.”

Steve's cheeks burned bright red and he returned his focus to his oatmeal.

“Maybe.”

Hal rolled his eyes.

***

Whitney laughed as he watched Steve threw Hal over his shoulder for the third time in the past hour.

“Dude, you keep letting him get under you!” Whitney chuckled as he stepped into the ring after Hal’s tap-out.

“He’s slippery.” Hal said, as he went for his water bottle. After a long drink, he wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and turned to Steve.

“You smell sweeter than usual.” Hal observed.

Steve shrugged.

“Diana had this trick where she bruised my gland without breaking the skin. It tricks my body into thinking it’s mated so I get more sleepy and satisfied. It cut my heat down from a week to four days. I’m probably just still cycling that out.”

Hal and Whitney frowned at each other.

“It’s been two weeks since she left.” Whitney pointed out.

“Yeah? And?”

Hal suddenly looked uneasy.

“Maybe you should go to the sick bay.”

Steve stared.

“Why?”

“Dude,” Whitney started. “Omegas smell sweeter when they’re carrying.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“I _know_ that. But I used the shots, so I can’t be. They're stronger than Plan B pills, and I used them every day of my heat.”

“What about after your heat was over?” Hal checked.

Steve’s eyes looked like they were gonna burst out of his skull. He turned and jumped over the ring’s barrier to punch a bag.

“FUCK!”

Hal and Whitney went over to him.

“No no no no.” Steve said quickly as he started pacing around. “I bled after, I can’t be pregnant.”

“Steve,” Whitney hesitated. “I don’t know much about it, but it couldn’t hurt to go get checked, right?”

Steve ran his hands through his hair, still pacing, his heart hammering in his chest, trying to control his breathing.

“Okay.” he agreed. “I’ll go.”

“We’ll go with you, if you want?” Hal offered.

“And before you say no,” Whitney interjected. “Forget the whole ‘I’m more than my presentation’ spiel. We’re not going with you because we think you’re a helpless Omega; we’re going with you because we’re your friends.”

Steve took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh.

“Thanks.”

***

Waiting for the test result was the longest wait Steve could remember as he paced back and forth in the examination room. The urine test had come back as positive, but he didn’t want to take any chances. The medic on staff didn’t have anything pressing, so offered to process the blood sample right away.

“Dude, sit down.” Whitney told him.

“I can’t.” Steve replied curtly. “I feel like I’m gonna crawl out of my skin.”

“I’ve got Tetris on my cell.” Hal offered.

Steve stopped short.

“Okay.” he held out his hand for the phone. Hal handed it to him and he sat in one of the plastic chairs to play.

Finally, two hours after she had drawn it, doctor Fraiser came out to see them, and Steve bolted right up, handing Hal his phone back.

“Do you want to come back to the exam room?” she offered. “Or are you fine with discussing your results in front of your friends?”

“It’s fine in front of them.” Steve said.

“I’m not sure whether to congratulate you or not, lieutenant.” Doctor Frasier sighed. “You’re being awful jumpy. It’s positive.”

Whitney and Hal said nothing, waiting for Steve’s reaction.

Steve swallowed, then took a deep breath.

“Thank you, doctor Frasier.” he said quietly.

“You’re going to have to let me know in the next month if you’re keeping it or not.” doctor Frasier continued. “In the meantime, I have to tell the colonel so that you’re not given any tasks that would be dangerous in your condition.”

Steve sat back in his chair with a thud, blanching at the idea that Gardner would find out, but he knew there was no avoiding it.

“Another, more serious note: avoiding a pregnancy heat. If you’re able, you’re going to have to have your partner available for daily scenting. If not, you’re going to need to pick a small number, no more than three or four, of Alpha friends to scent regularly. This is to make sure your body thinks there’s a provider for your pup so it doesn’t go crazy with false advertising. If within the month, you decide you want to terminate the pregnancy, it won’t matter. But any longer than two months without someone to scent regularly and you run a very great risk of pregnancy heat, which can only be resolved with mating, or you’ll miscarry.”

Steve swallowed and nodded.

“I’ll let you know.”

“Alright. I’ll expect your answer in thirty days. You can go.”

***

They returned to the gym, mercifully empty, and sat in a corner on some workout mats.

“Are you gonna tell her?” Hal asked, though he would’ve been surprised to hear anything other than an affirmative.

“Yeah, but…” Steve sighed. “How?”

“Something like,” Whitney supplied. “‘hey, I messed up and didn’t think to take my shots after the heat was over and now we got a little problem we need to figure out?’”

Steve snorted.

“Coming up with words are easy. It’s the actual performance that’s scaring me.”

“Are you gonna keep it?” Whitney asked. “If you’re not ready, there’s no shame in admitting it.”

Steve looked down towards his abdomen, though there was nothing to see, yet.

“I don’t think I could.” he admitted, placing his hand on his stomach. “This is me and Diana; the first person I ever shared a heat with. This is something we made, together.”

Hal smiled warmly and Whitney stubbornly wiped at some moisture which threatened to spill from his eyes.

Steve smiled sadly.

“There’s no point in putting it off.” he said. He pulled out his phone and checked the time, first. “It’s only 22h00. She should still be awake. Stay with me?” he looked to his friends.

“Of course.” Hal smiled.

“Not going anywhere.” Whitney held out his fist and Steve bumped it.

Steve breathed deep, then dialled Diana’s number.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

_Is she asleep?_

Four rings.

_Oh, crap, I don’t wanna wake her._

Six rings.

_Shit, I better just hang up._

Seven.

_Okay, hanging up, now._

Just as he was about the make good on his decision, the line picked up.

_“Steve! Good evening!”_

“Hi!” he greeted. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

_“Not at all! I had left my phone in another room. I’ve been missing you. How have you been?”_

Steve swallowed.

“Um, well… I, uh, did something stupid.”

_“What’s happened?”_

Steve felt nearly deafened from the rapid beating of his heart.

“Well,” he felt his throat grow tight, making it difficult to speak. “After my heat ended, I didn’t think to take my birth control.” There was no stopping the tears, now. Hal shifted closer and started rubbing his shoulder sympathetically.

“I’m sorry, Diana. I fucked up so bad.” Steve babbled. “I thought that, since I had bled after, that it was over, and that we’d be okay. I…” he took a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry.” he squeaked.

Diana said nothing, and Steve could feel his panic mounting, when…

_“Steven Trevor, listen to me very carefully.”_

There was an unmistakable timbre in her tone, and Steve recognised that Diana was applying some Voice, even as he froze, unable to do anything but pay attention to what she said next.

 _“You are alright. Everything is going to be okay.”_ There was a sigh, and when she continued, it was in normal tone. _“Steve, I know this wasn’t planned, but I’m not going to leave you alone in this. We’ve definitely moved beyond being able to do that to each other. Do you want me to come down?”_

Steve swallowed.

“But, your work--”

 _“I can arrange to have my work sent to me electronically for the next little while. They’ll understand the importance of being near you for your pregnancy. Again, do you_ want _me to come to you?”_

“Yes.”

_“Then I’ll start making arrangements. We can discuss everything else when I arrive. I’ll let you know when I can get down there.”_

Steve swallowed again, feeling better than he had a moment ago.

“Thank you.” he whispered.

_“I love you, Steve. I know I haven’t said it, not in so many words, but I do. And we’ll get through this.”_

Steve smiled tentatively.

“I love you, too.”

Diana was the one to end the call, and Steve leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes and sighing, then opened them again to look at his friends.

“Hal?” he was surprised to see moisture in his friend’s eyes.

“Just Alpha tears, man.” Whitney sniffed, dabbing at his own eyes.

Steve reached over and flicked at Whitney’s nose.

“Sap. The two of ya.”

The three friends laughed and talked for a little over an hour about Diana’s upcoming stay. Hal and Whitney offered to help Steve set things up, not only for her stay but to help make things easier for him with the pup on the way. Whitney, for starters, offered to drive Steve to and from his house every day. Hal said he’d ask Carol to come down and they could throw him a puppy shower.

Steve felt much better as he went to sleep that night than he had two hours previous. Optimistic, even. He hadn’t allowed himself to entertain the idea that he and Diana might be long-term, just grateful for whatever time they could have. As soon as he’d found out he was pregnant, he couldn’t deal with the changes that might bring. And he’d had to deal with getting civilians out of the vicinity of a car bomb in the so-called ‘safe’ zone during one of his postings in Iraq!

But Diana was on the ball with it. He was about ready to fall apart, and she just swept in and smoothed it over. She made no promises, other than that they would figure things out.

 _Well, little thing,_ Steve thought towards the newly-formed life inside of him as he idly stroked his abdomen with his fingers beneath the blanket. _You’ve just made my life a whole lot more interesting. But your dad doesn’t seem worried, so I guess I’ll try not to, either. Still not looking forward to seeing how Gardner reacts, though._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big announcement:  
> I am looking for a new beta reader. Otterstrashpalace seems to have gone from tumblr (I honestly don't know what happened, she hasn't been around).
> 
> I would prefer being able to communicate on FaceBook, because it's the social media I use most. I have my stories on Google Docs, so when it comes to going over them, I would send you the shareable link where you can leave helpful comments in the margins where you think things should be changed.
> 
> Before sending you my FaceBook info, please submit via e-mail: LarssonC87@yahoo.ca  
> Make sure to tell me your AO3 screenname so I know who you are.
> 
> See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana is protecti-- _attentive_ to her pregnant mate.
> 
> Things take a serious turn for the worst before the end, I'm afraid...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, no joke, this chapter gets seriously down in the dumps near the end. I promise, however, that the next chapter is already written and sees Steve recovering before it ends. This chapter, however, has a truly bummer ending.

Steve’s work got switched to surveillance on bandwidths of interest, which he was actually surprised he hadn’t been transferred to before, given that he’d repeatedly shown aptitude for learning middle-eastern languages, including Dari, Farsi, and Mesopotamian Arabic. It wasn’t long before the supervisor was giving him glowing reviews, which shocked Gardner to no end.

One might’ve supposed that listening to suspect radio frequencies all day would be exciting, but while there were occasionally things which could actually be passed on to higher-ups as ‘suspicious communications,’ the great number of times there was a lot of back and forth of idle conversation. It was actually kind of funny to catch on to who was having problems with their mate, who was having an affair, whose pups were doing well in school (and not so well), and who kept ordering Indian food from a place in Kabul called Namaste.

The supervisor made sure that Steve and the others didn’t stay sitting the whole time; their desks were high enough to be standing level, and there was a painted line around each station making a square for them to walk around, and their headsets had cords three metres long to allow for this. Steve was grateful for this, as he hated being idle for too long.

Steve had heard all the horror stories of morning sickness plaguing an Omega during the first few months of pregnancy, but he’d so far managed to stay above that. He often didn’t feel like eating much first thing in the morning, but never felt truly nauseous. He learned early to keep nutrition bars with him because hunger would hit him later when it was too early for lunch. The supervisor didn’t mind them eating at their posts, so long as it was away from the consoles. Steve would place a trashcan away from the desk as far as his headset would allow and eat over it, adjusting his chair to its highest setting and setting the clipboard on it so he could take notes on the chatter while he ate.

He sometimes felt worried while he counted down the days to Diana’s arrival. Hal and Whitney noticed this, and resolved to keep him busy by helping him rearrange his little house. It was early to buy puppy things, but puppy-proofing was an easy first step.

They found every open outlet in the house and placed covers on them, and made sure every cupboard and drawer were fitted with hindrances to make them harder to open.

One evening, after their shift ended, Whitney and Hal were helping Steve by carrying his foot locker out to Whitney’s truck to take to Steve’s house, when they ran into Minerva.

“Bitch has got you all wrapped around his finger, hasn’t he?” she sneered.

“Shows what you know, Minerva.” Whitney scoffed. “This is what friends do: they help each other. But I suppose to know anything about that, you’d have to have friends.”

Minerva acted like she didn’t hear this.

“So what happened, Trevor? Can’t figure out who the daddy is?”

“She’s arriving in a week.”

It was Minerva’s time to scoff.

“I see. Get preggers and then of course that bleeding heart from the U.N. isn’t about to abandon you, so you get your Cinderella ending.”

“Did you have anything worthwhile to say, Captain?” Hal said. “Because this isn’t highschool. This is the real world. Stop acting like a spoiled pup who didn’t get what she wanted.”

“Let’s just go, guys.” Steve urged. “Not worth it just because she’s being bitter.”

***

The next morning, Whitney and Hal went straight to Colonel Gardner and told him about the incident, as well as the one from before Steve’s heat.

“Are you two actually suggesting that Barbara Minerva has been behaving like a teenaged brat?” Gardner said, unbelieving, after they had finished describing the two events.

“We’re not suggesting, sir,” Whitney said. “We’re telling you. I was there for both incidents.” 

“Colonel,” Hal added. “I was present for two of the incidents of sexual harassment. I know for a fact that Captain Minerva downplayed it considerably. There is a real problem brewing, and people like her don’t get to be that way overnight. Please, look into her records, see if there’s any precedence. Lieutenant Trevor and other Omegas are not being done any favors if she thinks she can continue to get away with this kind of behavior.”

Colonel Gardner sighed heavily through his nose, tapping his pen on his desk.

“Alright, I’ll look into it. If anything else comes up, you let me know immediately.”

Hal and Whitney relaxed, relieved, and thanked the colonel.

***

The day Diana was due to arrive, a month since he’d first told her he was pregnant, Steve felt more nervous than the day she’d come for his heat. As she stepped out of Whitney’s truck, Steve felt his pulse quicken. 

Diana wasn’t smiling, but she did pull him into a hug, and although she did seem upset about something, she gave his hair a small tug like she knew he liked and kissed at his scent gland.

“I apologise in advance for my foul mood.” she whispered. “I know they’re your friends, but my hindbrain isn’t loving the idea that the mother of my pup has been around other Alphas. I just need a moment to adjust to their scent.”

Steve chuckled softly, relieved, squeezing a bit into the embrace.

“You could just hold me all evening and get your scent all over me.” he suggested.

Steve felt Diana smile at last against his neck.

“What a wonderful idea.”

They scented briefly, before finally pulling apart, though Diana continued to hold Steve's hand.

“We off the hook, yet?” Whitney asked.

“I do apologise.” Diana said. “I do appreciate your helping Steve and I know he values your friendship. Biology can be difficult to overcome, sometimes.”

“Well, you haven't challenged them for your claim,” Steve said. “So I’d say you’re doing pretty good.”

Diana smiled at Steve.

“I’ll try foregoing marking the perimeter of the yard, too.”

Steve chuckled.

“Thank you, it’s much appreciated.”

***

Diana was somewhat more territorial than she was before, but Steve could see where she talked herself down from certain things before saying them. He could tell she didn’t want to make him feel like she was taking over, merely inserting herself into his life. It was like having a roommate, except they’d fuck.

Oh, the fucking.

***

“Is this how you avoid needing to pee me?” Steve asked, panting.

He had showered and dressed for work, and then Diana had surprised him with a blowjob in the kitchen. Of course, the aftermath was the two of them cuddling on the kitchen floor, which meant that Steve got covered in Diana’s sweaty, aroused scent.

“Is it working?” she asked with a teasing grin as she rubbed his only slightly convex stomach.

“Well, even Hal hesitates getting too close to me, now, and we’ve been friends for a couple of years, so I’d say that’s a yes.”

Diana grinned wider.

“I suppose I’d better find a way to assure him I won’t bite his head off if the two of you exchange… a bro hug, I believe is the term?”

Steve laughed.

“So, what about you getting off?”

Diana shrugged.

“What did you want to do?”

“Well, if I'm gonna have your scent on me, may as well go all the way.” he grinned before lowering his pants further and presenting, looking back with a wicked grin.

Diana grinned back and knelt up to take of the readily offered meal in front of her.

***

Three months into his pregnancy, Steve and Diana were mostly making plans for the pup, but sidestepping anything that was in regards to them, together. On the one hand, Steve was grateful that Diana didn’t try romancing him; he wasn’t much for moonlit dinners and roses. On the other hand, it did make things difficult for him, because he didn’t know what to expect. 

Did Diana want to stay with him? So far, they did well living together. Diana was more than just casual sex to him, but a lot of the times she felt like the ultimate best friend, too. Then again, shouldn’t that be what a relationship is like? 

He found it so stupid in sitcoms when the joke revolved around the Omegas doing one activity and the Alphas doing another and both sides finding the other activity stupid. Sitting right up there was the tired joke of the Alpha getting poked fun at by their Alpha friends if the Alpha actually enjoyed doing an activity with their Omega partner; the flipside of that being the Omega, in an effort to spend more time with their Alpha, taking part in an activity with their Alpha’s friends, and supposedly ruining it as a result.

Alphas he’d dated in the past always seemed to find it weird when he actually enjoyed spending time with them on activities that weren’t traditional dates. Even though it was more acceptable for male Omegas to take part in sports than female ones, it was always supposed to be ‘nicer’ ones, like tennis or softball. One guy had been particularly pissed when Steve had managed to hit a ball better than him. It hadn’t helped that Steve had humoured him by letting him ‘coach’ him into the proper way to swing a baseball bat. After he hit the ball (thrown underhand, for cryin’ out loud) way over the guy’s head, well… he didn’t get a third date. Which was fine. The dude didn’t seem to know how to find his prostate, anyway.

But Diana? Well, she knew perfectly well how to find his prostate, which was a plus. But she also seemed to enjoy a nice balance of ‘less polished’ dating options, while still maintaining that indefinable  _ class _ that seemed to follow her everywhere. Okay, except that one time they were drunk, but she was a  _ hot _ mess.

Truth be told, Steve might almost be disappointed if she pulled out a romantic evening that ended in a proposal.

But there was more than one way to propose, right?

***

“ _ You _ wanna propose to  _ her _ ?” Hal asked, spoonful of Fruit Loops halfway to his mouth.

“Yeah? It’s the twenty-first century.” Steve said indignantly. “But a better question is, why are you eating Fruit Loops for lunch?”

“I wanted sugar. Don’t change the subject.”

“What’s the subject?”  Whitney sat down with a rather bland-looking meatloaf. He locked his eyes on the homemade herb chicken dinner Diana had packed for Steve, and let out a whimper. Steve tried to hold back his evil grin, he really did, but his facial muscles proved to be stronger than his sympathy for his friend.

“Sorry, Whitney. My Alpha put all her love into this meal, and it’s not for you.”

“Dammit.” Whitney grumbled as he stabbed at the meatloaf.

“Well, her love isn’t fattening you up, much.” Hal looked him over. “Shouldn’t you be showing by now?”

“Doctor Frasier said it’s normal.” Steve assured as he ate his chicken. “Some Omegas don’t show until well into the second trimester, and because I have well-developed abdominals it’s taking more time before I get the puppy-pocket. At least, that can be noticed through my uniform.”

“Oh.” Hal said. “So you are showing, just not through clothes?”

“There’s a little pocket.” Steve shrugged, trying not to react to the fact that he was blushing to the tips of his ears.

Hal and Whitney snickered.

“So, does Diana act all proud Alpha about it?”

Steve felt his face burn hotter at the memory of Diana worshipping his small bump with wet kisses.

“Yes, she does. Now, back to it: I need advice on how to propose to her.”

Whitney looked shocked, as this was the first he’d heard of it. Hal looked uncomfortable.

“I dunno, man. I know it’s a new age and all that, but it’s usually the other way around.”

Steve rolled his eyes and turned back to Hal.

“How would you propose to Carol?” he tried.

Hal coughed a little.

“Um, well… I’d probably take her to a concert. She likes Linkin Park.” he got a little dreamy-eyed, like he was actually considering it. “Take her hand, slip the ring in her palm on the sly, watch how she reacts. I know she wouldn’t want a bunch of people watching, so on the sly is best.”

Steve nodded. He wouldn’t want a bunch of people watching, either. Too much pressure, and then you feel bad for saying no in front of everyone.

“And what if Carol wanted to propose to you?” Steve asked. “How would you want it done?”

Hal’s eyes got big as he leaned back in his chair.

“I dunno. Never thought about it, before.”

“Well, start thinking. I need some Alpha insight, man.”

“Do something cheesy.” Whitney offered. “Something that’ll make her laugh. If she wants to marry you, a cheesy gesture will cement it, because she knows you put thought into it.”

Steve thought that over. Cheesy would be nice. Diana wouldn’t want him to do something fancy, because it wasn’t like him to be fancy. That’s why she took him on dates to pubs instead of fancy restaurants. But, likewise, they also had deep discussions over politics, literature, and just life in general while having quiet evenings at home.

“I think I know what to do.” he grinned at his friends.

***

“You wanted to see me, Colonel?” Minerva entered Gardner’s office.

“Sit down, Captain.” He said sternly, hands behind his back, facing the window.

Once she was sitting, Gardner turned to walk to his desk, and pulled out a thick folder, slamming it on the desk in front of Minerva.

“Care to guess what’s in here?” he asked.

“Sir?” Minerva asked.

“These are the reports of no fewer than twenty-seven Omega officers who transferred either by request or at the supervising officers’ discretion following complaints of sexual harassment. The perpetrator in all these incidents is  _ you _ .”

Gardner hadn’t raised his voice, but he may as well have for all the fury that built into his voice with that last sentence.

“I looked the other way because I believed you when you said Trevor was making a big deal out of nothing. I’ve actually been witness to a couple of false harrassment accusations, which made me doubt the seriousness of the situation between you and Trevor. But now I see my trust in you was sorely misplaced. I have put a letter of reprimand in your file, and if I  _ ever _ hear of you even so much as  _ looking _ at Trevor the wrong way, or  _ any _ Omega for that matter, I’ll see to it that you get discharged. Have I made myself clear?” there was a dangerous timbre to his voice as he neared the end, and it almost echoed in the room in the silence that followed.

Minerva only nodded, but inside, she was fuming.

“Yes, sir. Quite clear.”

***

It was considered an outdated tradition by most for Omegas to wear collars, though some still did at events such as prom or weddings, while their date or mate-to-be had the key to a small padlock (either decorative or fully functional) adorning the collar.

Steve always felt like if an Alpha wanted him to wear a collar, they would have to earn it. Well, as far as he was concerned, Diana had earned it, which is why, instead of a ring, he had gone out and special-ordered a small padlock and key that was both decorative  _ and _ fully functional. Rush order made sure it arrived in less than two weeks.

The key was made like an arrow, its handle the bow, and the padlock was a full moon, flanked by two crescent moons, which a Google search had told him was the symbol of the Goddess Artemis, the Greek equivalent of the Romans’ Diana, Goddess of the hunt.

He also had a black, soft leather collar, but intended that the padlock be worn with his dog-tags the majority of the time. The collar would only be for special occasions, as deemed by his Goddess.

And then there was the card. It was formulated like a pup announcement, except it was for a dog, with the word dog crossed out and mate scribbled above, the idea being that she should come home, find the card on the kitchen table, then follow a trail of his clothes leading to the bedroom, the key, padlock, and collar along the way. 

If it had been for anyone else, Steve would have thought it demeaning to do things this way, but this was Diana. He enjoyed teasing, playing around for top, but he also enjoyed submitting to her in playful ways, like he was a brat who needed to be toned down.

He enjoyed it because he knew, no matter what, that Diana respected him. If he told her to stop, she’d stop. Letting her call the shots now and again was liberating, because he knew she wouldn’t abuse it.

Steve had gotten everything set out, showered, and then was standing naked in the kitchen, waiting for Diana to return from getting groceries. He almost wished he could set up a camera to get her reaction while following the trail, but he didn’t have one.

At long last, the rental car pulled in, and Steve ran for the bedroom, then sat quietly on the bed, legs spread, feet together, and waited.

There was the sound of the door being opened and closed, then possibly grocery bags falling to the floor. Then, he heard what sounded like the fridge door hitting the cupboards, thudding which may have been things being thrown into the fridge, and then the fridge door being slammed shut. Then the footsteps approaching slowly; she hadn’t removed her clicky heels.

He heard the footsteps stop now and again, hoping she was finding the special items.

Then the bedroom door opened, and he sat up straight, trying not to shout or squeak or make any other noise which would bely just how nervous he was.

Diana stood there, breathing shakily, and--  _ crying? _

“You mean it, Steve?” she asked him, holding up the collar, padlock, and key.

Steve swallowed.

“Yeah.”

Diana crossed the distance to the bed in two strides and bent to kiss him as she took his face in her hands, dropping the items to the floor.

“I know how you value your independence,  _ andra mou _ .” she whispered against his mouth. “I wasn’t sure if you even wanted this. You were so upset when you called me about the pup.”

“You respect me.” Steve told her. “I know you do.” he brought his hands up to hers. “That makes all the difference. I know you don’t expect me to submit to you, which is why I do so gladly.”

Diana kissed him again, then pulled away to pick up the collar, padlock, and key.

Steve sat still as she knelt in front of the bed and attached the collar, then closed the padlock on it, the key on its chain going around her own neck.

Diana shed her jacket and blouse, then unzipped her jeans and slid them down with her panties past her hips, staying on the floor as she removed them completely, then resumed her kneeling position, silently urging him to place his feet on the floor on either side of her and scooching forward.

Diana first kissed his chest, lingering kisses on both nipples, which were only just starting to get sensitive, making Steve shudder with pleasure. She kissed her way down to linger on his belly, lovingly sucking at the skin, then continuing her path until there was nothing left but to take his prick into her mouth.

Steve gasped and moaned as the wet heat of her mouth formed a perfect seal around his member, then tangled his fingers into her hair, lovingly scratching at her scalp.

He wriggled in place, letting the pleasure wash over him, rubbing his legs along Diana’s sides, his ankles coming to meet behind her back.

“Love you.” he whispered, realising it was the first time he said it, his chest about to burst with emotion.

Diana pulled off him with a wet pop and boosted herself up, hands on either side of Steve, and kissed him, long and deep, letting him get a taste of himself.

Slowly, taking their time as they did so, they kissed and caressed one another, making their way up the bed, until they ended up with Steve on his knees, bracing himself against the wall, Diana with one arm around his chest, the other around his waist, as she slowly but deeply fucked into him from behind, nipping at his shoulders with her teeth, until neither of them could wait and just furiously chased after their orgasm, Diana’s right hand slipping down to stroke Steve’s cock until he came with a noise like a howl, the sound piercing through her and she thrust deeply one last time, her knot catching him as she flooded his passage with hot seed, then clutched him to her as they rolled down to the bed, breathing heavily for a time, before falling into a light doze.

***

Nearing five months into his pregnancy, more people around the base started taking notice and offering their congratulations. Well, concern, first; congratulations after noticing the small padlock dangling with the dog-tags.

His belly was starting to show a bit through his uniform, and Hal and Whitney had both said he was glowing. He had to admit his skin was looking amazing.

One evening, Steve had dinner in the mess with his friends because he knew Diana had a conference call and figured he’d stay out of her hair, plus it gave him time to catch up.

“Carol’s gonna be coming down next week.” Hal announced. “We gotta throw you a puppy party!”

Steve grinned.

“Yeah, probably around that time.”

“Know what you’re having?” Whitney asked. “I gotta know which colours to go with.”

“We’re keeping it a surprise.” Steve said. “But I refuse to have anything pink for my pup, female or not, so just keep that in mind.”

“Will do.” Whitney chuckled.

Steve happened to glance to the back of the room and saw Cheetah, for the first time in weeks, he realised. Since he wasn’t sleeping in the barracks anymore and Diana either cooked or ordered in, at the end of his shift he’d go straight home.

Cheetah looked  _ angry _ .

“Guys,” Steve spoke slowly. “What did I do this time?”

Whitney and Hal both turned to look towards the other end of the mess, then turned back to Steve.

“What time does Diana’s call end?” Hal asked.

“She said it might go on until seven.”

“We’ll stick with you until then.” Whitney said. “If she hasn’t arrived before seven, text her, and I’ll drive you home.”

Steve swallowed, then nodded.

***

When seven o’clock rolled around, Hal had to excuse himself to the little Alpha’s room (“if I’ve got salmonella from their fucking fish again--” “Stop ordering the gorram fish.” Steve scolded. “I’ve told you a million times.”), so Whitney was alone walking Steve to his truck when a young private came running up to them.

“Lieutenant Fordman! Colonel Gardner wants to see you right away!”

“Fuck’s sake.” Whitney rolled his eyes. “Alright, private, I’ll be right there.” he handed Steve his keys. “Go straight for the truck and lock the door.”

Steve watched for a bit while Whitney followed the private back to the compound, then continued to the truck.

Everything in Steve’s body was telling him to make a run for it, but he didn't listen, feeling like a pup jumping at shadows after a horror movie.

He barely had time to register the pain caused by a blunt object coming into contact with the back of his head when the dizziness of what was undoubtedly a concussion hit him and dots of light started exploding in his field of vision.

***

Whitney was almost to Colonel Gardner’s office when the man himself was coming out of it, locking the door.

“You asked to see me, sir?”

Gardner looked puzzled.

“No.”

Whitney blanched.

“Sir, please come with me. I think Lieutenant Trevor is in trouble.”

***

_ Hey, look, stars. _ Steve thought stupidly before his brain managed to catch up and he turned, only barely managing to miss another swing.

_ Why does Cheetah have a baseball bat? _ He wondered before catching on to  _ Danger. Angry Alpha. Gotta get out of here. _ But he was still slow from the hit to his head.

Minerva could see his struggle, and feinted down left, taking the opportunity to swing up right before Steve had a chance to recover from the first dodge.

Steve felt his teeth grind painfully as the upswing socked him in the jaw and sent him spinning, off-balance, till he landed on the asphalt in a heap.

He felt a boot come to rest on the back of his neck and push down, hard.

“Just can’t learn to lie down, can ya, bitch?” Minerva growled. “Surprised you managed to get preggers at all. Wouldn’t surprise me if your sorry excuse of a mate lets you do her, Alpha-style.”

Steve still had the keys in his hand, but would have to be careful how he moved if he was going to make them effective with her seeing. He was just trying to figure out the most effective way of getting out from under her foot so he could slash at her leg with the keys, giving him the opportunity to stand and run, when she removed her foot herself.

Only to bring it into painful contact with his side a second later.

_ No no no no nonono… _ he was winded, and panicking, he knew. That was way too close. She wouldn’t do that, would she?

He wasn’t able to get his breath back when he got his answer. After her kick, he’d tried curling in on himself, trying to protect his pup, gasping for air, and she brought her boot down on his other side, slamming as close to his belly as she could get from that angle.

He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. His thoughts were consumed with panic and fear.

_ Not my pup. Please, don’t hurt my pup. _

***

Minerva turned at the sound of hurried footsteps, only to have the wind knocked out of her as Whitney tackled her to the ground.

“You--” he growled, unable to finish his sentence as he proceeded to crush her face with repeated blows.

“Lieutenant! She’s down, I’ll hold her.”

Whitney turned and saw Gardner holding a radio in his hand.

“I’ve called for arresting officers and a med team. You better see to your friend.”

Whitney looked beyond to see Steve curled into a ball, shaking, and quickly got to him, taking his hand. The smell of terrified, hurt Omega made him choke on a sob.

“Steve? Can you hear me?”

Something light caught his eye and he looked up to see a baseball bat only a few feet away.

“My pup.” Steve said weakly, calling back Whitney’s attention. “My pup.”

Whitney moved to be behind Steve instead of in front, but never let go of his hand. He gingerly used his free hand to feel along just below Steve’s buttocks. His heart gave a stutter when he felt dampness. He hesitated, then brought his hand back to look, and felt a wave of nausea when his fingers came back dark.

“Colonel.” Whitney said, forcing his voice through his swollen throat.

Gardner turned to look at him, and he just held up his fingers even as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

Gardner’s face went from shocked horror to pure fury as he leaned in to whisper directly into Minerva’s ear.

“You’re lucky I don’t put a bullet in your brain right here. To attack one of your fellow officers is already inexcusable. But to intentionally bring harm to an innocent life is the worst insult you could bring to your uniform.”

***

After Minerva was arrested, Gardner took off in search of the private who had distracted Whitney. Maybe Minerva had lied to him, too, but Gardner had to be sure he wasn’t a willing accomplice.

Whitney stayed by Steve's side until doctor Frasier got him into her operating room. There was a viewing area, but Whitney couldn’t watch.

He texted Hal, first, who arrived looking angry and broken, then finally called Diana, scared out of his wits about how she was going to react.

_ “Did you blow a tire on that junky truck of yours?” _ was her teasing greeting.

“Steve’s been hurt.” Whitney got out.

There was a pause.

_ “What happened?” _

Whitney couldn’t finish, handing the phone to Hal.

“Minerva cornered him in the parking lot.” Hal explained. “Diana, it’s bad. You need to be here.”

The call disconnected without another word. There was nothing to do now but wait.

***

Diana had been angry at Hal and Whitney for leaving Steve alone, but eventually calmed down enough to recognise that it wasn’t their fault.

Gardner offered Diana the chance to confront Minerva (through bars, of course), but she declined. She couldn’t look at the woman. Couldn’t, just now, look into the eyes of the Alpha who had hurt her Steven; who had ripped away their puppy before she had the chance to draw breath.

Doctor Frasier said it would have been a girl, either Beta or Omega. She also warned Diana that Steve wasn't going to be in a good place when he woke. The attack, the trauma of losing his pup, mixed in with a hormone cocktail was going to make things very rough.

Diana stayed by Steve's bedside, sometimes crying, sometimes silent, as the heavy painkillers kept him momentarily unaware of his surroundings.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mourning period and daddy issues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just so y'all know, Steve's dad isn't in the comics very much. I could find very little of him Googling. I imagine his few appearances are different to the portrayal I've painted, here, but I have plans for how this character is going play out in future chapters.
> 
> Also, sorry the chapters are delayed, again. I'm working on Clark meeting with his parents, and I did actually write out two chapters' worth of stuff for Len and Barry, but realised it didn't fit where I had put it, because in the last one I established that Iris is supposed to meet with Francine, soon, but the chapters I wrote don't have that, and the way I wrote them there's a passage of time of at least a few weeks, so it wouldn't make sense that all that time passes before Iris and Francine finally meet, so I have to put them off until I have everything with Francine solved and dealt with. So I'm working on the Iris meeting her mom thing, which hopefully won't take very long, and then I can get back to Len and Barry doing stuff.
> 
> And, oh boy, when I post the other two chapters? They will be doing _stuff_.

Diana had just woken from a doze the next day when she saw Steve starting to stir. She quickly took his hand in hers and kissed it.

“Dia…” he whispered hoarsely.

“It’s alright, Steve.” she sniffed. “I’m here. Don’t push yourself. You have a bad knock on your head and you lost a lot of blood.”

He took a moment just to breathe.

“Puppy?” he whispered.

Diana’s face crumpled and she squeezed his hand to her face.

“There was nothing to be done, love. She’s gone.”

Steve didn’t react immediately, the information needing to make it through the fog of the painkillers, but then he started breathing funny before the tears came.

Diana leaned over him, kneeling in her chair and gently guided his face to the side so the tears could fall over onto the pillow.

“She’s going to pay, Steve. The laws are harsh regarding attacks on pregnant Omegas. She’s not going to get away with it.”

Steve didn’t answer. He felt too raw to form words. He just let Diana hold him while he rode the tidal wave of emotion that was like bleeding out his soul.

***

Hal was on his way to get take-out for himself, Diana, and Whitney, when he walked by the colonel’s office and found himself drawn to the site of boxes stacked around the room. He backed up and poked his head in the open door.

“Sir?”

“Something I can help you with, Captain?” Gardner said. His voice sounded tired, defeated.

“Are you leaving, sir?”

“I’m putting in for a transfer.” he continued packing his things. “I’m clearly not fit to run a base, so I’m going to a bigger place where there’s a general in charge.”

“Sir, with all due respect, I think you should stay.”

Gardner stopped.

“You think so, huh? If I had done my job, Minerva would’ve been out on her ear from the first time Trevor put in a complaint. But I didn’t listen, because I thought he was just a whiny Omega who couldn’t take a joke.”

“But that’s exactly why you should stay now, sir.” Hal insisted. “You know better, now. You’ll know the signs when you see them. Can you be sure the next person to take this office will? The fact that you know how to recognise the danger, now, is exactly why you should stay. The fact that you regret your inaction proves that you didn’t do so maliciously, just from a genuine mistake of not knowing. Now you know, you’ll protect them. Right?”

Gardner stared.

“Of course I will.”

“Then stay, sir.” Hal implored him. “I know you’re not a bad guy. You just honestly didn’t know how to recognise the signs, but that’s changed. You’ll be the best defense of every person on this base because you have the knowledge to do it.”

Gardner sighed.

“I’ll take it under advisement.”

***

It was many weeks before doctor Frasier seemed satisfied that Steve could go home. He was to be on bedrest for another month, and she herself was determined to check on him frequently.

Diana worried with how quiet he was, so unlike the man she knew. He responded to questions, let her know when he had to go use the washroom or if he was hungry or thirsty, but nothing more.

One night, she awoke to see him stroking his belly, the heartbroken look on his face haunting her into an uneasy sleep.

***

When Steve was given the okay to start walking short distances, he developed a routine of walking the full length of the house, not leaving a single room unchecked. It took Diana a few days to realise that he was checking the doors and windows, making sure that everything was locked. Her heart hurt at the realisation.

“Steve.” Diana started one evening over supper. “Is there nothing you wish to discuss? It might help you to talk about how you’re feeling.”

He shook his head.

“If you’d rather not speak to me about it, there are support groups--”

“I don’t  _ want _ to talk about it.” he said firmly.

Diana stayed quiet for the rest of their meal.

***

“I hoped, since you’re his friends, that he might be more responsive to you.”

Diana had gone to get groceries, but detoured to meet with Hal and Whitney. Another two months had gone by, and Steve was still quiet, unwilling to leave the house. Diana had managed to get him to go sit on the porch every day, but only if she was with him.

Hal shook his head.

“We’ve been texting him, but he hasn’t answered.”

Diana’s shoulders slumped. She didn’t want to leave Steve, but she was feeling on the edge of madness herself, stuck in the hole with him. She felt selfish for it, whenever the thought came that she could just leave. She didn’t want to hurt him further, but she knew this could grow into resentment if something wasn’t done.

“I’m losing him.” she clutched the key hanging from her neck.

Hal cleared his throat.

“I’ll give you Carol’s number.” he told her. “They’re very similar: both headstrong, determined to prove to the world that they’ve every right to be on their chosen path. She might have better insight. She lost a pup, too. Before we met.”

Diana nodded and pulled out her phone.

***

_ “He’s blaming himself.” _

Diana frowned. She had finished getting groceries, and was now sitting in her car just down the road, out of sight of the house, wanting to see if Carol could give her some new knowledge with which to arm herself before going back to Steve.

“He was attacked. That’s not his fault.” Diana said, confused.

_ “When I lost my pup, it was a miscarriage.”  _ Carol explained. _ “I felt like I had failed at doing the one thing my body was supposed to be designed to do. Felt like it was punishment for doing everything they say I  _ shouldn’t  _ have been doing because I’m an Omega. Yes, he was attacked, but it was by someone who kept telling him he wasn’t acting like a ‘proper' Omega. And it came so quickly after he had finally found someone who made him happy, and that he was going to start a life with. Even when you try telling yourself you want more than what  _ they  _ say you’re supposed to have, years of being told ‘no’ can take its toll when you go through something like this.” _

“He thinks he brought it upon himself.” Diana muttered.

_ “My partner at the time couldn’t deal with it.” _ Carol explained.  _ “But she didn’t get what was going on inside my head. Now you know. You might make it.” _

_ Please, gods, let me make it. _ Diana prayed quietly.

“Thank you, Carol.” Diana told her. “I think I can figure out my next move.”

***

“Come on, Steve!” Diana pulled back the curtains, letting in the sunlight. “Take a shower, then come to the kitchen.”

Steve groaned, pulling the blankets over his head.

“If I don't hear the shower running in five minutes, I’m carrying you there.”

Steve waited until Diana’s footsteps faded from the bedroom, then forced himself to sit up, shutting his eyes against the sun.

_ What the hell’s gotten into her? _ He thought, irked at her unceremonious barging.

Not wanting to test if she was serious about her threat, Steve left the bed, wincing from some lingering soreness of his injuries, then made his way to the bathroom slowly, dropping his sweats as he went.

The warm water washing over him gave him a moment’s reprieve of the mess in his head, and he felt himself relaxing for just a minute before the shadows came back. The little voices that were almost constantly with him.

_ You can’t even be a proper Omega, now. Look at you, lazing about while your Alpha does everything. Why do you even bother? She would be relieved if you just ended it, you know. _

“Steve!”

Diana’s call chased the voices away for a moment.

“Yeah?” he answered back.

“I’ve put some fresh clothes out for you on the bed. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

Steve hesitated. He almost felt like he should say ‘thank you,’ but the situation was just… off.

_ She’s parenting you, because you can’t even do anything for yourself anymore. _

Steve leaned his head against the shower wall, and let his tears mingle with the stream of water.

***

When Steve emerged into the kitchen, the smell of Diana’s herb and cheese omelette made him salivate.

“So, what’s the occasion?” he asked as he sat down.

“We haven’t had a date in a long time.” Diana told him, and Steve immediately felt dread at the implication that sentence brought.

“It’s easy to fall into a rut, and I don’t mean my mating cycle.” she continued, placing glasses of orange juice on the table. “So here’s what’s going to happen.” She sat down across from him.

“Every Saturday, we’re going to get up no later than nine o’clock, then go out and do something for at least two hours. The commute time doesn’t count.”

“What are we gonna do?” he asked warily.

“This afternoon, I thought we might try going into the city and taking in a play. The local theatre troupe is putting on The Hobbit, and I managed to get tickets. You mentioned you watched the cartoon when you were small, so it might be fun to compare.”

Steve drank from his orange juice to delay answering. That seemed harmless enough.

“Okay.” he agreed.

“We should have enough time to watch the cartoon before going. I downloaded it last night. I’ve never seen it, myself, though I did read the book when I was in secondary.”

Steve smiled, and the action felt like something he’d been missing without realising it.

Diana noticed, and had to bite down on her feeling of triumph. There was a long way to go, yet, but to see Steve finally smile for the first time in months gave her hope.

***

Over the course of another two months, Diana saw Steve slowly come out of his shell. It started with small things, like helping her with the household chores without needing to be asked, and then he started coming up with suggestions for their Saturdays out. Diana nearly cried on the day that Steve finally laughed again.

She knew it wouldn’t be without setbacks. He still hadn’t actually talked to anyone about what happened. This was the calm before the storm.

***

One day, Diana saw that Steve seemed tired. He still went through his daily tasks, but he was quiet, again. Then, the following Saturday over breakfast…

“Diana, what if I don’t want to go out today?”

Diana swallowed the food in her mouth, took a breath, and sighed.

“I knew this might happen. So, here’s my counter offer: we stay in, if you agree to talk.”

“Talk about what? I just don’t feel like going out, today.”

“You’re still hurt over what was done to you.” Diana said seriously. “You haven’t been dealing with it. You’ve been letting it bubble beneath the surface, and for a time you even succeeded in avoiding it altogether. But now even the distraction of our Saturdays isn’t enough, because you haven’t yet expressed it properly.”

“And what am I supposed to do?” Steve asked, frustrated. “Cry? Go talk about my feelings to a shrink?”

“It doesn’t have to be to a psychologist if you don’t want to.” Diana assured him. “You can talk to me, you can talk to your friends. Hal and Whitney have been worried about you, Steven--”

“Why?” Steve asked. “Because I’m not bouncing back from this!?” He stood from the table and kicked the chair over. “After all, I can just make another one, right!? That’s what I’m made for! Is that what you want!?”

Diana didn’t try to stop the tears as they rolled down her cheeks, standing to look Steve squarely in the eye.

“You know me better than that, Steve. No one, especially not me, is expecting you to just bounce back. And if you never want to have a pup as a result of this, I will support you in that decision. But you can’t forever be living like this.”

She gently took his face in her hands.

“Barbara Minerva did something terrible to you. She is serving out her punishment as we speak. You will need time and help to get well again. Don’t push us away.” she sobbed. “Don’t let her win. She wanted you to pay, because she couldn’t stand the thought that you might be happy when she was finally facing the consequences for her actions. She took our daughter from us, don’t let her take you, too.”

Steve broke, the dam finally overcome, and fell forward into Diana’s arms. She caught him, then slowly brought them to the floor, sitting with Steve in her arms, rocking him gently as they both cried.

***

Steve refused to go see a shrink, but he did try talking with Diana, which helped. And even though she wasn’t a psychiatrist, doctor Frasier prescribed him some anti-depressants, which helped, too. He didn’t like them, at first, because they made him nauseous, but Diana suggested that he wait a while, give his body time to adjust. It eventually balanced out.

He eventually felt well enough to go back to base, and was given his old post in the radio room. The routine felt comforting and surreal at the same time, but gradually the surrealism faded away, and though there was the initial welcoming and that everyone was a bit cautious around him at the beginning, things did eventually feel back to normal.

Whitney and Hal were clearly very happy to see him back, and eager to help get him back to the point where he could throw Hal over again.

_ The world didn’t end. _ Steve mused one day.  _ I’m still here, and Diana’s still here, and she’s still fighting, and I can still fight. _

***

“You asked to see me, colonel?”

Steve had been summoned to Gardner’s office at the end of his shift. It had been almost a year since his return to duty. Diana had to go back to Washington, but she still visited every chance she got.

“Lieutenant,” Gardner stood, a grave look on his face. “I have to inform you that the performance at your duties has been such, that I have no choice but to give you this.”

Steve frowned, shocked that his work performance had been found to be less than what it should be, and took the paper the colonel was handing him. He read aloud, quickly.

“‘Steve Trevor, it has been the recommendation of your superiors based on job performance that you be-- promoted to the rank of captain.’” he looked at Gardner with wide eyes.

“Keep reading.” Gardner now had a shadow of a smile. Steve swallowed.

“‘It is also believed, after a full evaluation of your performance, that your skills would best serve the United States Government at a higher level, which is why you are requested to report to the intelligence offices in Washington, D.C., before the thirty-first of August.’”

Steve’s eyes bulged when he saw it was signed by General O’Neill. He looked up to Gardner, disbelieving.

“Sir?”

“You’ve more than earned it.” Gardner said, and held out a Captain’s badge insignia. “Congratulations.”

Steve swallowed, his throat swelling.

_ Damn it, don’t cry in front of Gardner, for fuck’s sake, don’t cry in front of Gardner. _

“Better get out of here.” Gardner returned to sit at his desk. “Your friends are probably gonna wanna treat you to a night out. Dismissed, Captain.”

“Thank you, sir!” Steve exclaimed and left quickly. Ten paces down the hall, he broke into a run.

***

Hal and Whitney were in the gym. Hal had Whitney in a headlock, and they were shuffling about in a circle as Whitney tried unsuccessfully to break free.

Steve saw them at it, grinned, and jumped into the ring, shoving them, making them tumble as they broke apart, arms flailing to catch themselves.

“What the hell, Steve?” Hal rubbed his elbow, which had born a good deal of his weight as he’d fallen.

Steve didn’t say a word, but held up the patch.

Whitney and Hal jumped to their feet and looked at it more closely.

“Congratulations, man.” Whitney pulled him into a hug.

“Hey!” Hal smacked his arm. “Show a bit more respect. You have to call him ‘sir,’ now.”

The three chuckled.

“Um, there’s more.” Steve said, excited, but also sad. “I’ve been reassigned to the counter-intelligence office in Washington.”

The two Alphas stared, and their faces fell for a moment, but both smiled.

“Have you told her, yet?” Whitney asked.

“No, but I’m supposed to talk to her tonight, anyway, so--”

He stopped as his phone went off. He grinned when he saw it was Diana’s number.

“Hey--”

_ “Steve, what happened? Are you alright?” _ Diana’s panicked tone cut him off.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Steve said slowly, confused. “Why?”

_ “General O’Neill called me and said I should speak to you right away! What happened?” _

Steve chuckled.

“Um, well, I’ve been promoted,” he took a deep breath. “And reassigned to Washington.”

There was a thud and a clatter, followed by a distant swearing, then finally:

_ “You’re coming here?” _ Diana exclaimed.

Steve felt scared suddenly doubtful of her meaning.

“Um, yeah?”

Steve had to pull the phone away from his ear as Diana cheered loudly.

_ “I’ll start setting things up in my flat! When did you need help packing? Um…” _ her tone shifted, suddenly quiet.  _ “Sorry. That is, if you wanted to move in with me?” _

Steve grinned and took in a shuddering breath, trying not to cry.

“Of course I wanna move in with you. We’re still engaged, aren’t we?”

He pulled the phone from his ear again as Diana, his stunning warrior princess, squeed.

_ “I’ll start making arrangements! When do you need to be here?” _

“Well, not until the end of August, so I’ve got three months to pack and get ready.”

“We’ll help him.” Hal leaned in and spoke loudly so Diana could hear. “We’ll make sure to get his ass out of here as soon as possible.”

“I guess that takes care of that.” Steve said, grinning.

***

Steve was excited, scared, happy, and nauseous.

When Diana had come to live with him for the pup, nothing had been finalised. They were still working everything out, getting a feel for how to proceed.

When he lost the pup, he expected it to just end. He couldn’t understand why Diana stayed. But she had, and they had managed to patch things together. Then she’d had to go back to work in Washington. 

Even with the promise of continued visits, every time she left, he felt a raw ache. This would dull over time so long as he had his friends to keep him distracted, but there was no balm like her voice.

Now, it felt more official. He was moving to her.

They hadn’t yet made any formal wedding plans. He couldn’t care less if it was a big white wedding while Diana attached a collar around his throat, or ten minutes in front of a judge; he just wanted to be hers. He already was, the only thing missing was a bite on his neck; she had taken the fractured pieces of his heart and soul and put them back together.

Steve smiled as he surveyed his packed items; the ones that hadn’t been shipped, yet. Hal and Whitney had helped him get everything together in record time. He would have two months of leave when he arrived in D.C.; a nice vacation time to spend with Diana before his new duties started.

There was a knock on the door, and Steve bolted to answer it, grinning to see Diana standing on the porch.

“Hey, princess.” he whispered, and the two met in a consuming kiss, Steve putting his arms around her neck, and Diana lifted him, turning as she entered the house, his legs around her waist, and she pinned him to the wall, worshipping her mate, making up for lost time.

Diana had her hands under Steve’s shirt, caressing his sides, moving her kisses to his neck, sucking and nibbling, making Steve groan and pant as he tightened the grip of his legs around her waist.

“Ahem.”

Diana and Steve froze, turning to look towards the door, which they had left open. An older man had walked through, wearing worn jeans and a black t-shirt.

Diana picked up on the change in Steve’s scent immediately; anger and fear. She gently lowered him to the ground, moving to shield him, but he placed a hand on her shoulder and moved to stand beside her instead.

“Diana, this is Ulysses Trevor, my father.”

Diana frowned at the revelation, immediately suspicious given Steve’s reaction to the man’s arrival, and the fact that he had never mentioned his father, before; he had stories aplenty about his mother, who had died before he presented, but never his father.

“Diana Prince.” she introduced herself curtly, not extending her hand.

Ulysses nodded, then turned to Steve.

“You mind explaining to me, boy, why it is I had to hear about your being attacked through an old friend of mine who works as a guard in the military prison?”

If Diana had any more proof she should dislike this man, she had just found it.

“I didn’t tell you because I figured you’d come down here and start asking me what I’d done wrong to cause it in the first place.”

“That was gonna be my second question.” Ulysses said. “Haven’t I told you time and again that you can’t go roamin’ about by yourself after dark?”

“So it’s my fault a fellow officer attacked me while on base?” Steve countered, but Diana could hear him beginning to waiver.

“You know who else could’ve walked in here with the door wide open!?” Ulysses barked.

“Alright, that’s enough!” Diana interjected, getting right in Ulysses’ face. “The only reason Steve was in a position to be attacked is because past supervisors didn’t listen when Omegas complained about the Alpha in question; Steve put in several complaints, himself. When colonel Gardner finally noticed the pattern and put a note of reprimand in her file, it made her want to take it out on Steve. You can’t honestly tell me it’s Steve’s fault that someone who should have been discharged a long time ago was coddled by her superiors, putting her in the position where she could hurt others again and again!”

“He should have been on his guard!” Ulysses shouted back. “Don’t you dare tell me how to parent my son!”

“If this is what you call parenting, I’m not surprised Steve never mentioned you before today!”

“I don’t think I much approve of you being my son’s Alpha if you’re gonna be putting ideas in his head!”

“Stop it!” Steve shouted.

They both turned to look, and although Diana did feel ashamed for her temper, she didn’t feel ashamed for what she had said.

“Dad, you said your piece, get out.”

“You gonna tell me what to do, now?” Ulysses growled, rounding on his son. “Sounds like you’ve forgotten your manners.”

Steve froze, the sound of Voice making him unable to protest. In his head, he heard the snap of a belt, but his father hadn’t moved.

“No, sir.” Steve said quietly.

Diana growled, making both men jump.

“You can come back when you’ve learned that you are not master of your son’s home.”

Ulysses looked like he was about to challenge her, but she stepped into his space and growled again.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said. “I’ve got a room in town. You two need to get some furniture in here.” he turned and slammed the door behind him.

Diana pulled Steve into her arms and brought him down to the floor, leaning against the wall as she cradled him.

“Steve,” she said, edging Voice into her tone. “He’s gone. You did nothing wrong.” she took a deep breath and resumed without using Voice. “I love you, Steven. He was wrong to say those things to you.”

“I left home at sixteen.” Steve said quietly. “I don’t know if I was too young to notice how he treated mom or if he only started it after I presented as Omega, but according to him, I should be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, not playing soldier. I tried a couple of times to patch things up, but…” he swallowed. “That didn’t work out so well.”

Diana closed her eyes, feeling a pang in her heart for the teen she couldn’t protect.

But she could protect the man in her arms, now.

“I don’t expect you to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.” she told him. Then, to try lightening the mood: “The kitchen is my space. As for whether or not you walk around barefoot is up to you, but do it elsewhere.”

Steve gave a weak chuckle.

“And the pregnant part?” he asked.

Diana scritched his scalp, sighing.

“That’s up to you, as well.”

Steve scented her before responding.

“Only if they’re yours.” he said, resolute. “I ain’t presenting for just any Alpha.”

Diana held tighter to him, smiling.

***

Diana and Steve discussed what to do that evening regarding his father.

“I never told him where I live,” Steve said. “So he must’ve found out thanks to his buddy telling him what base Minerva was from and worked it out from there. That means he doesn’t know I’m going to Washington. I’d rather keep it that way.”

Diana nodded as she slurped the ramen they’d ordered.

“I agree. I’d sooner not have him come banging on our door.”

“The truck to take the rest of my stuff arrives tomorrow morning.” Steve said. “He’ll probably catch on that we’re not staying. The only thing left in here is the bed, which was due to be tossed, anyway; I got it second-hand and I’ve had it for three years.”

“Did you want to go stay at a hotel after your stuff has been safely shipped away?” Diana asked. “We could avoid him altogether.”

“I want to at least tell him, first.” Steve said. “Not where we’re staying, just that we’re not staying here, and that he’s not welcome to visit. If he has anything else to tell me, he’d better get it out in one go, because then we’re gone.”

Diana nodded.

“About that. I know there wasn’t much time to discuss it beforehand, but I would like to know how much you want me to say. I realise I lost my temper, before.”

Steve nodded.

“I appreciate it, actually. I grew up in a small place where pretty much everyone thought just like him. About time he gets another Alpha to tell him when he’s fucked up. And when he uses his Voice, obviously I can’t do much to fight back. Thing is,” he sighed. “I used to think all Alphas ever wanted was for me to submit, and it made me want to never do it. But with you, I know you respect me, so I don’t mind when you take charge. You never cross certain boundaries, and you still let me be me.”

Diana smiled fondly at him.

“I would never want you to be anyone else.” she told him. “I fell in love with you; what would be the point of making you someone else?”

“According to him, I need taming.”

“Then you’d be no fun.” Diana took his hand. “I want my pilot who knows how to handle stick shift.” she winked.

Steve grinned.

“Ooh, princess.” he purred before taking her hand in his and kissing her palm, then nipping on the meaty part near her thumb.

The half-finished ramen laid abandoned for the moment while the two rushed for the bedroom. Steve got to top, another reminder that Diana didn’t expect a pliant place for her knot, and they dozed for a bit before eating the rest of their cold ramen and then going to sleep for the night.

***

Diana and Steve had his stuff loaded and ready to go, and then Diana called to book a room at the Holiday Inn. Then, they just had to wait for Ulysses to show up.

Steve was getting antsy, so Diana gave him a blowjob to calm his nerves, taking a raincheque on reciprocation (“You can thank me when we get to the hotel.” she told him).

The two were standing on the porch when Ulysses arrived in a junked-up pick-up. Diana supposed that Ulysses must be a mechanic to keep such an old vehicle running so quietly; no wonder he’d been able to sneak in the day before.

“I don’t get invited in?” he scowled at Steve.

“Nope.” Steve crossed his arms. “You say what you want to say and then leave. I was actually in the middle of moving out; I just finished shipping the last of my things, then Diana and I are going to stay in a hotel until our flight leaves in a few days.”

“Where’re you moving to?”

“None of your business.” Steve said. “I got a promotion and a transfer, and that’s all you need to know.”

“And you’re following him?” Ulysses asked Diana. “What about your career?”

“This suits us, actually, as his transfer takes him to where I was already living.” Diana said. “No more long-distance.”

Ulysses scoffed.

“Next you’ll be telling my that you’re gonna carry the pups.”

Diana shrugged.

“I might give it a try.”

Ulysses shook his head, frowning.

“No Omega pup of mine is gonna play at being Alpha.”

“Well, guess what, dad?” Steve countered. “I’m not a pup anymore. You can’t stop me.”

“Yes, I can.” Ulysses growled, and Steve froze at the sound of Voice. “You’re gonna get your ass in that truck, and I’m taking you back home until you can learn to be a proper Omega.”

Steve grabbed onto the rail of the porch and held on tightly. At the first sign of defiance, his head felt like it was going to split.

“No, I’m not.”

“Call it off, now!” Diana warned. “I’ll call the police if you don’t.”

“Call them.” Ulysses challenged. “This is my pup and they’ll never take your side.”

“He’s twenty-five years old.” Diana corrected. “You don’t have authority over him anymore.”

“I have authority until he’s mated. Guess you should’ve taken care of that.”

Diana knew that wasn’t true. Maybe it was the case fifty or so years ago, but certainly not now; not in the U.S. She took out her cell and started to dial 911, but Ulysses took advantage to order Steve to the truck, again. He slowly let go of the rail, and took a step.

Diana reached to grab Steve around the middle, closing in a wrist-lock.

“Hold on, Steven.” she begged him, feeling him. “Hold on.”

Luckily, at that moment, Whitney’s truck came up the driveway. Both he and Hal stepped out, frowning, confused by what they saw.

“It’s Steve’s father.” Diana explained, still holding onto Steve, who was straining to fight the order, whimpering from the pain in his head. “He used his Voice, he’s trying to get Steve to go with him.”

“What the fuck, man!?” Whitney rounded on Ulysses.

“You can’t just go using your Voice on him like he’s still a pup!” Hal exclaimed.

“I can until he’s mated.” Ulysses said. “Until then, he’s still my boy, and he needs to learn some manners.”

“That can’t be right!” Whitney protested.

“It’s not.” Hal said, trying to think of what his and Whitney’s limitations were in this situation. The house was provided living by the army, but it wasn’t on base. That left them with citizen’s arrest, except that they hadn’t actually witnessed the crime.

“I’m calling the police.” Hal said, pulling out his phone.

Ulysses scoffed and turned back to look at Steve and Diana.

“You’re only gonna hurt him that way.” he warned. “You know what happens when an Omega disobeys a Voice command.”

Diana grimaced, knowing he was right; prolonged disobedience could cause pinprick hemorrhaging in the brain. She turned Steve so that she’d be facing him instead of holding him from behind.

“Steve,” Diana said, using more Voice than she ever had her whole life. “I’m your Alpha.” she held up her key and his lock. “You chose me. Tell me what to do.”

Steve seemed torn between her orders and his father’s, but then he got a determined look on his face.

“Bite me.” he whispered.

Before anyone else could react, she’d reached up from behind his shoulder to move his t-shirt collar and clamped down on the gland.

The best way to cement a mating was for it to be done during the mating cycle; either the Omega’s heat or the Alpha’s rut would do. But the old traditions had the Alpha claim their Omega during the marriage ceremony, first, and to finalise it during the next mating cycle. The only thing required was for the Omega to want it, and it would take hold.

And Steve wanted it.

He felt the tendrils of his soul melding with Diana’s, the grip of his father’s command breaking. Though any Alpha could use their voice on any Omega or Beta, the strongest hold would always be by an Alpha mate. If his father tried to order him, now, Diana could override it.

Ulysses growled and darted forward to pull Diana off Steve, but Whitney body-checked him.

“Don’t you dare.” he warned. “I used to play football and now I’m military. Give me one reason, asshole.”

Ulysses spat at him.

***

When the police arrived, at first they were concerned over the fact that there were three Alphas not related to Steve against his father, but Steve was able to prove he was in his right mind and not being coerced in any way. The look of shock on Ulysses’ face when he was arrested for prohibited use of Voice was worth the whole mess.

When Steve and Diana arrived at the hotel, Steve down two ibuprofens and a glass of water and went to sleep. Diana sat by his side, throat tight with guilt. Even though Steve had asked her to bite him, it had still been under duress. They should’ve been able to talk out when they’d bond. They hadn’t even started planning their wedding.

Steve frowned and opened his eyes.

“I can feel you kicking yourself, princess.” Steve mumbled. “It’s not helping my headache.”

“I’m sorry.” Diana said softly, tears welling in her eyes. “I just wish we could have made it special.”

“We got to get my dad off my ass permanently and I got to see him get hauled off by the cops. That’s pretty damn special.”

“But--”

“But nothing.” Steve told her. “We’re gonna have to do it again when our mating cycle hits. You want the rose petals and candles then, that’s what we’ll do. I got no regrets.” he caressed her cheek.

Diana gave him a watery smile and kissed him.

“I love you, Steve.” she whispered.

“I love you, too.” he whispered back, then closed his eyes again, trying to sleep off his headache.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dancing, then moving. Oh, and a cabbie who isn't a complete douche-nozzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apart from this one and anything I already had chapters for well in advance, I will not be posting anything until well into the new year. I'm taking a writing break until New Year's, meaning I won't be writing until after January 1st, which means I won't be posting until end of January/beginning of February (again, except for stuff that's already written).
> 
> Merry fill-in-this-blank ----> _____________ <\----- blank-this-in-fill, and I'll see y'all in 2018. Hopefully, it'll be better than 2017.
> 
> I have disabled comments on my Clark/Bruce fic due to comments left by a Xavi on chapter 43 (technically 42. as my note doesn't count). Feel free to leave comments on this or Good Ol' Hockey Game about that fic.
> 
> Please leave me comments. It helps me feel like I have validation. :P

When Steve woke in the evening, Diana left him a note that she’d gone to get supper, but he’d just finished answering nature’s call when she returned.

“I hope pizza’s okay?” she asked tentatively.

Steve frowned.

“Of course it’s okay, as long as you didn’t get Hawaiian.”

Diana smiled.

“Meat lovers, plus mushrooms and extra cheese.”

Steve licked his lips.

“Mm! That’s perfect.”

They set up at the small table in the corner of the room and ate straight from the box. Diana had also got a bottle of orange soda, which they just passed between them, figuring they exchanged plenty of their germs, anyway.

After they finished, Diana was looking pensive, biting her lip, then looked at Steve.

“You mentioned that you tried to patch things up a couple of times with your father. How badly did it go?”

Steve sighed.

“I had the good sense not to go visit or phone. I wrote letters, instead, had his responses received at a P.O. box. He insisted I should go home, didn’t even try to sound apologetic. Said I left too early, that I was gonna end up pregnant and alone and probably on drugs because I was too wild.”

Diana frowned.

“He tried to abduct you, today. How many times over should he have been arrested?”

“Too many.” Steve said flatly. “But it’s over. He pretty much confessed in front of the cops when he tried to argue that they couldn’t arrest him for trying to discipline his pup. I just want him out of my life.”

Diana nodded.

“If that’s how you feel about it. But if ever you want to do more, or if ever you want to talk about it--”

“I know.” Steve half-smiled. “I’ve got the best Alpha.”

Diana smiled sadly.

“I try.”

“Hey, there’s no trying about it, princess.” Steve told her, smiling.

“I shouldn’t have left.” she whimpered. “I should have known, you smelled so sweet, I should have known you were pregnant. I should have taken harder steps to make sure they kept Minerva away from you, I should’ve--”

Steve pushed the pizza box out of the way and sitting closer to her, stroking her cheek.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better Alpha. You stuck with me when a lot of people would’ve left. You--” he gave a weak chuckle. “I don’t know how ended up here, being yours. But I wouldn’t trade one moment if it meant I didn’t get to be with you.”

Diana smiled at him, her eyes glistening.

“You don’t belong to me alone,  _ gliko mou _ .” she said as she took his hand. “We belong to each other.” she kissed his hand tenderly, reverently.

Steve grinned and slid off the table, giving her a deep kiss, then straightened up, a manic look in his eye.

“Let’s go do something tonight.” he declared.

“What do you want to do?” she grinned back.

“Uh…” he thought for a moment. “Let’s go dancing! We did a lot of quiet stuff over the past year. Fun stuff!” he hastened to say, not wanting to insult her choice of activities during his recovery. “But, we need to go shake it!”

“I passed a place on the way back.” she said, standing, looking eager. “They were announcing five-dollar triples. If we go there early, we could avoid paying a cover charge.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do! Oh.” his face fell. “I don’t think I left any of my good stuff behind.” he glanced towards his duffel.

“Then let’s go shopping.” Diana declared. “I only brought casual stuff, too. And it’s only six o’clock.” She looked gleeful. “We’ll have plenty of time to get dressed for the evening!”

“One more thing.” He went to his carry-on bag, removing something from one of the smaller pockets. “I’m gonna wear this.”

He held out his collar. Diana grinned.

“May I?” she held her hand out.

“After.” Steve smiled fondly at her. “Let’s get dolled up.”

***

Diana went with a sleek black outfit: long skirt with a high slit to show off her tall boots, and a high-collared shirt.

Steve decided to go all-out. He’d normally restrain a little, because even though clubbing on its own was a defiance against how his father had raised him, he’d always tried to withhold from wandering into what some might call slutty. But now, he was going out dancing with his Alpha, and he wanted to celebrate.

Black was the dominant colour, of course, to match with Diana: a mesh shirt with buttons down to his midriff (kept unbuttoned, of course), tight but stretchy jeans, and his shoes gave him a couple of inches to try catching up with Diana, whose height was already three inches over his, but her tall boots added another three over him in his bare feet.

After shopping, they watched a movie on the hotel’s pay-per-view service before getting dressed for the night.

Diana’s hair was drawn back in a simple ponytail, and she wore large gold hoop earrings. Her lipstick was a sort of neutral red, and she just lightly traced her eyes with a brown eyeshadow.

Steve gelled his hair in a kind of a whiff, and intentionally kept his five o’clock shadow. And, as promised, he held still, smiling, as Diana put his collar on.

“I think my favourite part of tonight will be taking these off.” Diana put her hand under his shirt, tracing lightly on his abs. He’d worked had to get those back, starting to hit the gym the month after he got back to work.

“Maybe I could unzip your boots with my teeth?” Steve offered, grinning.

Diana giggled and the two shared a light kiss, Diana’s hands wandering in behind and giving Steve’s ass a squeeze, making him squeak in surprise, followed by laughter.

***

Before stepping into the club, they agreed that they would try to not outdo themselves that time at the pub. They wanted to be able to enjoy themselves without regrets, and it was easier to remove clothing when one had actual coordination over one’s hands.

This place had techno remixes of popular songs, which meant more rapid movements and hip swagger than at the pub they had been to. This meant more frequent breaks as they tired themselves out, but all it took was the right tune to get them out on the floor again.

During one such break, Steve found himself cuddling into Diana's side, almost feeling like he could sleep in spite of the loud bass.

Diana smiled and stroked his hair. Steve got a whiff of arousal, then suddenly felt more awake as he got an idea.

They were sitting in a corner on some plushy benches, and most people were on the dance floor. Steve sat up and flashed a grin at Diana, then leaned in and began making out with her, which she eagerly reciprocated.

It was impossible to have a conversation with the loud music, so Steve drew back, took Diana's left hand, and enveloped two of her fingers in his mouth, licking them lovingly as he gently stroked near her crotch, then winked.

Diana grinned, but then leaned in and shouted,

“Let's save my knot for when we get back!”

Then, before Steve could react, she was pinning him to the bench, kissing him hard, and then slinked down to the floor between his legs.

Steve felt his heart hammering in his chest. Was this actually gonna happen? He scanned the area nearest them, then looked back down and grinned at Diana, who was grinning back at him as she undid his fly.

Steve thought he was pretty fly for having sex without being bonded or married. Even though this was his idea, he was still almost disbelieving that he was about to get a blowjob  _ in a club _ .

All thoughts went out the window as Diana took hold of his member and gave the head a lick.

_ Oh, fuck. This is actually happening. _

He tilted his head back as warm, wet heat enveloped him completely and he moaned in his throat, only able to know through the way his throat constricted, as he couldn’t even hear himself over the noise. His boxers were getting sticky with slick as she worked his cock, and he clenched desperately, wanting something inside him.

Diana reached up and took his left hand in hers, entwining their fingers as she bobbed up and down his length, her right hand stroking closer to his base.

“Diana… Alpha…  _ Oh _ , God!”

Diana only took quick breathing pauses, but otherwise didn’t let up for one second, and then Steve bit back a cry as he came; Diana didn’t let one drop escape, drinking him all down.

When it was over, she lovingly kissed his now-limp member before carefully tucking him back into his fly.

Steve was still panting when Diana gracefully returned to sit beside him on the bench, then took his face into her hands and kissed him deeply, letting him get a taste of himself on her tongue.

“Holy shit.” he whispered, still seeing stars.

“Have I satisfied your need for exhibitionism for the night?” Diana grinned as she ran a fingernail from the bottom of the opening in his shirt, upward until she teasingly flicked his chin.

Steve leaned in to kiss her again, grasping, trying to get as close to her as was physically possible, but it still wasn’t close enough.

“Hey, can I get in on that?”

Diana and Steve turned to see a female Alpha, bleach-blonde, overly made-up and, judging by the smell, drunker than either of them, leering over the table.

Diana bared her teeth and growled. Despite being an intimidation tactic, Steve found himself feeling a jolt of arousal at the display of his Alpha being territorial.

“Aw, come on, honey!” the other Alpha pouted. “Don’t be like that! I don’t mind sharing!”

“I  _ do. _ ”

Diana tucked her fingers under Steve’s collar and then leaned over so that only he would hear her.

“Shall we continue this party at the hotel?”

Steve turned to kiss her and nodded.

Diana led the way to push past the other Alpha, arm wrapped posessively around Steve’s waist.

Once on the sidewalk outside, they started looking for a cab, but blondie had followed.

“My place ain’t far! Come on!” she made to grab Steve’s wrist, but he deflected, spinning on his heel, joining his two hands, fingers laced together, and bringing it down hard between the Alpha’s shoulder blades.

“Ow!” she screeched, turning to look at him. “What the fuck!? I thought you were an Omega!?”

“He is.” Diana smirked, proud of her mate. “And I think he’s made it quite clear to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Is he a tranny or something?” she looked at Diana. “No way an Omega could hit that hard!”

“It’s trans, bitch.” Steve corrected. “But no, I’m not. Just military.” he pulled the chain of his dog tags taut so that she could see them more easily. “Which means unless you’ve had any actual training, I could probably kick your sorry ass from here to Sunday without breaking a sweat.”

“Hey, blondie.”

Steve turned to see the bulky bouncer approaching.

“I saw you try to grab him, so get out of here before I call the cops.”

“Fine! Your club sucks, anyway!”

She stumbled down the street, not able to keep a straight line.

“Can I get you two a cab?” the bouncer offered. “My mate’s driving tonight, and it would make me feel better for you two if I knew who was taking you home. Also makes me feel better for him, knowing that for at least one fare he won’t be dealing with a couple of creeps.”

“That would be lovely, thank you.” Diana agreed.

“Thanks for making her fuck off, too.” Steve smiled.

“No problem.” the bouncer smiled, then pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

***

The bouncer’s mate turned out to be a talkative type, with opinions on just about everything, but in a pleasant manner. His Brooklyn accent was also fun to hear.

“And dat’s why ya  _ always _ get yer steak from da deli on Geoirge street. Dey know how to tenderize der meat, and dey’ve got da best cuts. Run by a Lebanese family. Lovely paiple! Der pups go to school wit’ mine. Best manners one could ask for! I’ve had ’em over for dinner more den once. Best friends wit’ my pups! Udder pups in the class make fun of ’em ’cause of der accent, see? But my pups know better. I’ve taught ’em how yer s’pposed ta treat udders. ‘ When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not taunt him. The stranger who sojourns with you shall be as a native from among you, and you shall love him as yourself.’ It’s in da Torah, and my Rabbi made sure I learned my verses.” he must have learned very well, as his accent disappeared when he recited the verse.

Steve and Diana smiled.

“Too bad we’re moving.” Steve told him. “I would’ve loved to try their steak.”

“Aw, dat’s too bad. Where you lovebirds movin’ to?”

“D.C.” Diana told him.

“I never got why dubya went after Iraq. Okay, Hussein was a bad dude, but dey never got proof he had anythin’ ta do wit’ dem towers goin’ down. Boy, was I scared dat day. I called up my mom, tried ta ask if she was alright. She kept warnin’ me about the blocked traffic! I tell ’er, ‘ma, I ain’t in New York, remember? We’re down in Colorado! Are  _ you _ okay?’ Tells me not ta go downtown because dey’ve block da roads. ‘Ma, again, we’re in  _ Colorado! _ ’ ‘What’re ya doin’ in Colorado!?’ she asks me. ‘Ma, I moved down wit’ my mate! You saw us off at da airport after da wedding!’ ‘I thought you were movin’ to Joisey!’ ‘Ma! Why would I move ta Joisey!?’ ‘Well that’s what I was wonderin’! I didn’t say anythin’ ’cause I didn’ wanna start a fight!’”

“Sorry,” Diana cut in. “I’ve long wanted to ask, why is New Jersey picked on so much?”

“There’s probably a longer explanation,” Steve said. “But for some reason they’ve got a reputation for being kind of backwater.”

“Like Belgium?”

Steve shrugged.

“I dunno. I’ve never known of a European equivalent.”

“Supposedly, it’s mainly the Dutch that make fun of them, but you can go almost anywhere in Europe and find someone who knows Belgian jokes. Mind you, Belgium brought us Tintin, which is very intelligent writing and probably the best way to learn proper French if you read it in its original printing.”

“Never heard of it.” Steve frowned.

“I’ll get some copies.” Diana smiled. “I grew up reading them. It’s about a reporter who travels the world and takes down crime syndicates and other villains. It’s for all ages and written in comic format.”

“Nice.” Steve said.

“So tell us a Belgian joke!” the cabbie asked, grinning.

Diana winced.

“King Albert is fed up that the Dutch make jokes about how dumb Belgians are. He goes to Queen Beatrix, of the Netherlands, and demands that the Dutch should do something stupid, so that the Belgians can laugh at the Dutch. Beatrix wants to maintain good relations so she says; “We will build a bridge in the Sahara.” King Albert approves and so it happens; the Dutch build a bridge in the desert. They become the laughing stock of the world. King Albert is pleased and says to Queen Beatrix: “That was funny, you can remove the bridge.” Queen Beatrix responds: “We can’t, there are Belgians on the bridge trying to fish.”

Steve and the cabbie laughed.

“I got a good one for Joisey,” the cabbie offered. “Why couldn’t da baby Jesus be born in Joisey? ’Cause dey couldn’t find three wise men or a voigin!”

Steve laughed full on, but Diana looked like she was trying not to, with little success.

“You okay, princess?” Steve asked her.

“I always feel a little guilty for laughing at jokes that make fun of people from other regions.” she admitted.

“Ah, don’t feel bad.” Steve told her. “Wanna hear one about Oklahoma? That’s where I was born.”

Diana smiled.

“Alright.”

“How does a man in Oklahoma hold up his pants?” he paused, trying to look serious. “With a Bible belt.”

Diana snorted.

“I’m sure there are some about Greece.” he told her. “Every place has their own thing that other people are gonna joke about.”

“Most of ours are about Greek Mythology.” Diana shrugged. “For example, ninety-percent of the miseries suffered by the Ancient Greeks are because Zeus couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

Steve and the cabbie both snickered.

“Dat Zeus, what a character.” the cabbie grinned. “Mind you, my pups only know da Disney one fer now. My lil’ girl, you should hear her sing. She can match dem Muses almost note for note, an’ she’s twelve. Gonna get her inna choir dis year. Lovely lady does a Christmas play with singin’ every year. All amateurs, but talented ones. You two gonna grow a family out in D.C.?”

Steve swallowed, smiled sadly, and turned to look at Diana.

“Yes.” he said, but it seemed to be more for Diana to hear than the cabbie. “Because there’s plenty of stupid, ugly people in this world, and I wanna try to change the tide.”

Diana gave him a watery smile in return and squeezed his hand.

The cabbie grinned, not oblivious to the love pouring out from the backseat.

***

Back in the hotel room, after a pleasantly long and thorough session of making love, they lay entwined, almost dozing, when Diana nuzzled Steve.

“You might want to visit a gynecologist.” she whispered.

“You got something you didn’t tell me about?” Steve teased.

“I’m just wondering if we should wait, or if we need to be on the lookout for anything. I mean, after what happened, if it might make you more high-risk.”

Steve sighed.

“Yeah. Didn’t think about that one. I was actually gonna ask if we could start before my new assignment does. It would make sense to go off my suppressants before starting my new assignment, since I was due in four months, anyway.”

Diana smiled at him.

“We fly out in a couple of days. We could look up doctors in the area and still have a few weeks to share a cycle before your assignment starts, and we’ll know if we need birth control or not.”

“Why do they call it birth control?” Steve frowned. “It’s conception control. Sure, a conception usually leads to a birth, but if you’re at the birthing stage it’s way too late for the contraceptives.”

Diana snickered and flicked his nose.

“You’re adorable.”

“Aw, thanks.” he kissed her.

***

Steve had never flown first-class before, but he was really enjoying the leg room.

“I feel like I should be asking for champagne and a massage.” Steve said, lounging in his chair.

Diana giggled.

“You’re looking like a cat in a sunbeam.” she told him.

“I feel like it. This is great.”

Diana giggled again and took his hand, lovingly lacing their fingers together.

A grinning stewardess approached their seats.

“Were you ready to order your in-flight meal?” she offered.

“In-flight meal?” Steve turned to Diana. “It’s only a three-hour flight, isn’t it?”

“It’s included in the price of the tickets.” she explained.

“Sweet.” Steve said. “What’ve you got?” he asked the stewardess.

“Today’s lunch is a Cascade Brisket Chili.”

“Oh,  _ man _ , that sounds good.” Steve said, his mouth watering.

“I’ve had it before.” Diana said. “It’s delicious.”

“Cool. Two, please.” Steve grinned.

“Excellent, I’ll have that up for you in a moment.” the stewardess smiled. “What would you like to drink?”

Diana grinned at Steve.

“Still want that champagne?”

“For chili?” Steve thought for a moment, frowning.

“Beer might be better.” Diana realised.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” he agreed.

“Two tall beers, please.” Diana requested.

“Coming right up.” the stewardess grinned and left.

***

When their flight landed, the brisket still leaving Steve a little sluggish, but satisfied.

“Now, I do have a car.” Diana said. “But only use it pretty much for groceries. I usually use the Metro to get anywhere else. Since we only have a couple of bags each, would you like to try the Metro, or I can flag us a cab?”

“I’ve never been on a subway.” Steve smiled. “Let’s do the Metro!”

Diana grinned and led him to the nearest entrance.

Steve grimaced as they entered an empty car.

“Smells like piss.”

“This time of night, unfortunately, they do get like this.” Diana said, apologetic, as she found them seats further away from the source of the smell.

Steve looked around, and his gaze fell upon a grizzled old man sitting in the corner, who looked back at him. He was wearing a pale blue robe, clutching dirty newspapers in his lap. Steve’s eyes widened when he realised the newspapers were moving.

“Can we go sit in another car?” he whispered.

Diana looked up and then narrowed her eyes at the old man.

“Definitely. First things, first.”

She stood and approached the man, but stopped a few paces away, then let out the most bone-rattling snarl Steve had ever heard come from any Alpha.

The man startled, dropping his papers, and Steve realised he was a Beta to have been so easily shaken.

“He is my mate.” Steve swallowed at the sound of angry Voice. “Return to wherever you escaped from.”

The man grunted as he nodded quickly.

Diana turned to grab her things and offered her hand to Steve, then led him to the next car, keeping him in front of her so as to be a barrier between him and the old man. She kept him moving until they had crossed through three cars, and the smell of urine was far behind them.

“Sorry.” she told him, after they sat down. “I wanted to be sure he wouldn’t follow.”

“Is this a usual thing?” he asked.

“I’ve only ridden this late a handful of times, but there is a mental hospital only three miles from the airport. They’re pretty good at finding their patients the next day, but some do manage to slip out at night.”

Steve shivered, and Diana pulled him into her arms.

“Cabs after dark.” Steve declared.

“You’re also welcome to use the car anytime you like.” she assured him.

***

With Diana’s influence, it only took them three days to get Steve in to see a gynecologist. Steve contacted Dr. Frasier to have her fax the information from his previous pregnancy and miscarriage, so that his new doctor would know what to look for and be better equipped to make an accurate prognosis.

“It’s been over a year, and your body expulsed everything on its own without need for surgery.” Doctor Reid told him on their second visit. “From what I’ve seen of the 3D ultrasounds and Doctor Frasier’s notes, I think you’re probably fine for trying again. Now, that isn’t to say you’re completely in the clear.” she warned. “I will be monitoring you very closely, to ensure everything is going well. You said you hadn’t gotten very ill the first time; that may change. Most pregnancies, we only require two ultrasounds; I’ll want to do at least four, spaced a good distance apart, to be on the safe side.”

Steve swallowed and nodded.

“Whatever it takes.”

Diana took his hand and squeezed to offer support.

“Now, there is one other thing I’d like to discuss with you, but only with you.” she side glanced at Diana.

“Alright.” Diana smiled and patted his hand. “I’ll wait outside.” she grabbed her purse and left.

Steve shifted slightly in his seat and waited for Doctor Reid to begin.

“The file Doctor Frasier sent,” she hesitated. “It struck me as odd. You were pregnant, but unbonded, and then attacked?”

“Yeah…” Steve said slowly.

“Do you know who attacked you?”

“Yeah…” Steve said again, frowning. 

“Was she known to your Alpha before the incident?”

Steve finally understood what she was getting at; she wanted to be sure he wasn’t in an abusive situation. 

He almost got mad, that anyone would suggest such a thing about Diana, but realised that would be counterproductive and unfair. It was better that Doctor Reid was checking, rather than risk that victims could be slipping through the cracks with no one to bat for them.

“She was a captain on the same base as me. She’d been harrassing me for over a year.” Steve explained. “When the colonel finally realised I wasn’t exaggerating, he put a note of reprimand in her file, the first one she’d ever gotten even though she’d harassed others before me, and she took it out on me.”

“And your decision to try again at getting pregnant, would you say your Alpha ‘convinced’ you?” she used air-quotes.

“No.” he shook his head. “We actually hadn’t discussed it at all,” he realised. “And then we were in a cab and mentioned that we were moving. The cabbie asked us if we had plans for a family, and then it was like I already knew that I wanted to try again, and said so, right then and there, that I wanted to make pups, to try to put something good into the world. Later, I talked with Diana about coming off my suppressants before my assignment started, so that it would be out of the way. But then that brought up the question: with or without contraceptives? And, really, the only concern was if it would be safe for me to get pregnant, yet, given what had happened.”

The doctor smiled.

“Alright. I just wanted to be sure.”

“I appreciate that.” he told her. “More doctors should be asking those questions. Not just for grown Omegas, but for teens, too. I could’ve avoided a lot of crap if someone in my hometown would’ve been asking me questions regarding my father.”

Doctor Reid smiled sadly.

“But your current situation--?”

“Is better than I could’ve asked for.” Steve smiled.

***

Steve sighed as he looked at the empty packet of pills. Normally, to keep his cycle suppressed, he would have to start a new one. But now, he was going to stop. It felt bigger, this time. Sharing his heat with Diana had already been a big step. But now, he was intentionally going to be trying to get pregnant.

He didn’t want a wedding. For him, just being mated was enough. However, Diana had explained to him how getting an official ceremony in front of a judge was in his best interests. Technically speaking, she was the one who would lose more if they divorced, later, as she had the greater financial assets.

“Steve?” Diana called through the bathroom door.

“Yeah?”

“Do you want coffee or something else with your breakfast?”

He hesitated.

“Do we still have that salted caramel flavoured one?”

“Yes!”

“Then coffee, please!” he smiled, then tossed the empty suppressant packet into the trash.

Diana had made quiche by pre-mixing everything the night before and then popping it into the oven first thing when she got up. Not simple quiche with cheese and ham, mind. Quiche with provolone cheese, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and bacon crumble, with cayenne pepper to taste.

Steve sighed as he sat down.

“Today’s the day.” he told her.

“Our appointment at city hall is on Friday.” she told him. “Today’s Wednesday.”

“No, I mean, today I’m not taking suppressants.”

Diana smiled.

“How long does it usually take before you cycle kicks in?”

“It’ll probably start early next week.” he said, before taking a bite of the quiche and then moaning happily.

“I take it that means it’s good?” she asked, smiling.

“Mmhmmm.”

“I’m going to rut at the same time.” she said, the smile fading.

Steve swallowed his food.

“Yeah?”

“I hope that works out okay.” she said, uncertain.

“I’ve been with a rutting Alpha, before.” Steve assured her. “It’s actually kinda fun.” he winked.

Diana seemed relieved.

“Just think.” Steve said. “This time next week, we’ll be legally married, fully mated, and maybe even get something cookin’.” he patted his stomach, then pouted. “My abs are gonna round out, again.”

Diana pouted back.

“But remember all the impromptu orgasms?” she reminded him.

“Oh, yeah!” Steve grinned. “I knew there was an upside!”

Diana grinned back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding, fucking, and working... oh, and meeting a new presentist piece of shit...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About Diana's name: Prince is not Greek. I figure she uses it when she travels so it looks more "normal," because that way it's less off-putting to those who might have reservations about going to her talks if they knew her Greek name.

“You’re sure you’re okay with not having your family over for this?” Steve said as Diana smoothed the front of his dress uniform, while she was looking lovely in a white pantsuit with loose-legged pants.

“Have you never seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding?” Diana asked.

“Never been one for rom-coms.” Steve admitted.

“Trust me, when I bring you to meet my mother, she’ll throw us a party that will make up the lack of a big, white wedding. Twice-- no, four times over.”

Steve chuckled.

“Number fifty-two, you’re up!” a crabby voice called, making Steve and Diana snort.

“Guess she’s bitter about it not being  _ her _ big day.” General O’Neill grumbled.

“Jack, watch your thumbs.” Diana warned.

“I’m not gonna mess this up.” Jack acted affronted as he held up the camera. “I got to be there when you first met, I’m gonna get the best shots of your beautiful, state-officiated union.”

Diana and Steve chuckled at him and he stood to lead the way through to the courtroom.

Diana and Steve walked through the doors, then Diana offered her arm for Steve to thread his through and they walked together to stand in front of the officiating judge. He wasted no time but dove right into the speech, as someone had already checked their IDs and license in the hall.

“Diana Prigkipessa and Steven Trevor. You have come here today to be legally wed according to state law. Do you have vows which you would like to say to one another?”

“We do.” Diana said, her eyes shining. She took a deep breath.

“Steven, when I first met you, you were every ounce the soldier, standing back straight and exuding a strong presence. You have since let me see behind the soldier, to the man who knows how to laugh, and even cry during Don Bluth films.”

Steve shushed her, but was smiling.

“Steve, we’ve been through one of the most painful things two people can experience together, and we still made it here. I promise, I will continue to carry you when you need it, and we can hold each other through the rest. I love you, Steve, and want very much for you to be my husband.”

Steve had to clear his throat before beginning.

“Diana, when we first met, I was struggling to remember how words work.” Steve chuckled. “But you have been everything I could want from someone who I would want to spend the rest of my life with, including, metaphorically, slapping me in the face when I need it. Diana, I want to be yours, if you’ll have me.”

Diana bit her lip, looking like she was trying not to cry, but a traitorous tear rolled down her cheek, regardless.

“Have you brought the rings?” the judge asked.

They pulled the tungsten bands from their pockets and held them at the ready.

“Repeat after me:”

“I, Diana Prigkipessa, do solemnly swear to love, honour, cherish, and care for, in sickness and in health, this man before me, to the best of my ability, until death do us part. With this ring, I seal my vow.”

Steve felt his heart hammering as she slid the metal band on his left hand ring-finger, the metal warmed because she had held it in her palm for the whole of the ceremony.

He looked into her eyes and smiled.

“I. Steven Rockwell Trevor, do solemnly swear to love, honour, cherish, and care for, in sickness and in health, this woman before me, to the best of my ability, until death do us part. With this ring, I seal my vow.”

He took her offered left hand and slid the ring onto the third finger, and then they turned their attention back to the judge.

“By the power vested in me by the District of Columbia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.”

Steve had briefly considered making a wisecrack of how they had plenty of practise doing that, but instead just leaned in for what was probably the simplest of kisses they had ever exchanged. He gave a brief yell, however, when Diana swooped down and had him scooped into her arms, in the appropriately-named bridal-style. The two stood there laughing for a moment, and then Diana carried him out of the courtroom, the judge very kindly opening the door for them so that Jack could stand ahead of them, walking backwards as he snapped more photos of the happy couple.

***

When Steve woke up Sunday morning with cramps, his first thought was  _ Why do I have to go through pain to prove my fertility? _ But then he became aware that Diana was pressed right up against him, humping his hip. He turned his head to look at her, and saw that she still had her eyes shut, her mouth parted slightly.

“Diana?” he turned in her arms and gently shook her shoulder. “Diana?”

Her eyes shot open, her pupils big and black with just a hairline of brown on the outside still visible. She focused on his face, and Steve felt a stab of desire go through him, slick already sticking his boxers.

“Brush teeth.” she ordered, and they dashed for the bathroom.

He probably didn’t do as thorough a job as he should have, but he did use mouthwash, so he figured it would be fine. He finished rinsing, and then Diana had him against the wall and was sniffing and licking and nipping his throat and neck.

“Diana…” he breathed helplessly.

She said nothing but reached between them and took hold of his cock, stroking it as she teethed at the half-healed bite mark.

Steve had nothing against being fucked against the wall, but he really wanted to be in bed. Fighting the mounting heat as best he could, he pressed the back of one foot against the wall and pushed, jostling Diana off him.

“Catch me.” he winked before breaking into a run.

Since he was already making her chase him, Steve figured he’d better make a good sport of it and led her through the whole condo, from the bedroom through the living room and around the kitchen island before retreating back to the bedroom where he stopped in front of the bed, intending to turn to receive her in his arms, but she tackled him from behind and they both fell to the bed, the wind knocked out of him.

She lifted enough for him to turn beneath her and she encircled his throat with one hand, not pressing, merely holding.

“Mine.”

Steve felt the heat overtaking him as he allowed himself to go limp.

“Alpha.” he submitted.

She descended to claim his mouth, grabbing his hair at the back of his head with one hand, tugging in that way he loved, and Steve only knew he wanted to be filled, possessed, consumed by his Alpha.

“Alpha.” he whined when they broke for air.

“Does my Omega want something?” she teased, running her cock along the cleft of his buttocks.

“Yes, Alpha.” he nodded fervently.

“Want my cock, Omega?” Diana whispered, running a full lick along the line of his jaw before sucking his earlobe between her teeth, still holding him by his hair.

“Yes, Alpha!” Steve exclaimed, trying to press himself where she was still holding her cock between his buttocks, but she held him back.

Diana pushed him up the bed until he was on the pillows and then breached him with her fingers, giving Steve a small measure of relief, but he still needed more.

It was like she was trying to learn what his passage was like, first with two fingers, and then three, and then four…

_ Oh, God… _

Half her hand was inside him, and she kept going, gradually curling her fingers until--

That was her fist. Her fist was inside him, moving around inside him.

“Alpha--!” he was nearly sobbing. It was fuller than he’d ever experienced, and it was his Alpha giving this too him. Until she wasn’t.

Diana withdrew her fist, and Steve whined at the sudden emptiness.

She crawled over him and kissed him, taking hold of his prick with her slick-covered hand, and Steve bucked into her hold.

Finally, the hot, stiff rod that was his Alpha’s cock was breaching him and he felt his thighs splay to the sides to accept his Alpha inside him and he shifted his hips to start rocking on her.

Diana held tightly to him, and then turned, bringing Steve with her until he was on top of her.

“Ride me, Omega.” Diana urged him, and Steve obeyed, unable to do anything else, chasing that marvelous friction of his Alpha being inside him. The advantage of being on top of her meant that she was as deep as could be and rubbing against his prostate with every movement. Steve rolled his hips while Diana met his movements by thrusting her hips upward. She took hold of his cock and stroked him until he was coming all over her torso, but he even as he cried his release, he didn’t stop until he felt her knot filling inside him.

Diana gripped his hips, her nails digging in, and then Steve fell forward for her to bite his neck again, right over the older bite, cementing their bond.

She lapped at the bite, fingers in his short hair, the other arm across his shoulders as she held him to her.

“My beautiful mate.” she whispered to him.

Steve could only moan softly as he nuzzled to her, the steady stream of come continuing to fill him.

***

Diana had had the forethought to make a bunch of food ahead of time, meaning all they had to do was heat up portions in the microwave.

They brought their food and orange juice back to the bedroom and ate in relative silence, though Steve occasionally gave Diana little looks, sometimes accompanied by batting his eyelashes or very pointedly licking his lips.

Diana smiled but continued to eat her food until there was none left, then placed her plate carefully in the open space under the nightstand nearest her. When she looked up, Steve had finished, too, and crawled closer to kiss her. Diana caressed his face and hair, then pulled back, still holding his face in her hands.

“I take it round one was adequate?”

“Oh, princess.” Steve purred. “You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”

Diana smiled.

“I have some idea.” she teased.

They lay on their sides, exploring gently until their hormones began to take over and their kisses became more hungry and desperate.

During a break for breath, Steve pulled away and presented, bent low on his arms with his ass high in the air.

Diana immediately lined herself behind him, a low growl of desire rumbling in her throat as she thrust into him without any preamble, making Steve whine.

Diana began thrusting immediately, the delicious wet heat of her mate calling her for more, more, more.

Steve met each of her thrusts as he shifted his hips back and forth, satisfying a need deep in his womb to be filled by his mate.

“You want my seed, Omega?” Diana purred.

Steve whined before answering.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Want my pups, Omega?” she said, more aggressively as she picked up speed, the wet-slap sound of her body against his louder.

“Yes, Alpha!” Steve whined louder. “I want your pups, please!”

“Gonna get all nice and round for me.” Diana said as she fucked him. “My beautiful mate. You’ll be such a good  _ mitéra _ .  _ Sýntrofos ómorfos mou _ .” She continued whispering Greek at him like she was praying.

Steve came suddenly, shaking and twitching and Diana wasn’t far behind, her knot locking them in place, and she stilled for a moment as she pumped her seed inside his passage. But then she kept moving, not as hard, her knot limiting them, but just enough that her knot was pressing consistently on Steve’s prostate and he was nearly crying at the over-stimulation that was both too much and yet exactly what he wanted.

Steve felt the waves of orgasm crash over him so close together that he couldn’t tell how many times he did, only that Diana was coming inside him more than once, as well.

When she stilled one final time, pulling them onto their sides to collapse in a sweaty, panting heap, Steve was a pile of sensation occasionally twitching as though there was loose current traversing his body. Diana was gently massaging his stomach, and Steve smiled as imagined being round again, the life they would create growing inside him.

***

When Wednesday rolled around, Steve woke to Diana sniffing him very carefully and thoroughly.

He was feeling more clear-headed than he had over the past few days, and was wondering why Diana would still be rutting if his heat seemed to be over.

“Princess?” he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

“You smell sweet.” she whispered excitedly.

“You mean, like,  _ sweet _ ?” he asked.

She pulled back, smiling, and nodded.

“I guess we should go to the pharmacy?” he suggested.

“Breakfast, first.” she said as she kissed his forehead.

Unfortunately, each of the five tests they bought said they should wait two weeks after a heat before being used. Steve found that to be a long time, but Diana cheered him up by bringing him to Blockbuster, where he went with the Yu-Gi-Oh! movie.

“Man, I gotta see if I can find my cards.” he said when the movie ended. “I know I packed them, I just can’t remember what box.”

“I apologise if I didn’t enjoy it, much.” Diana said. “You said you used to watch a whole series about this?”

“Yeah!” Steve said, mock-affronted. “My dad thought it was devil shit, so he wouldn’t let me watch it, so I had to watch it at my friends’ houses. They would get me the cards, too.”

“Okay, thinking it was ‘devil shit’ as you put it, is going overboard, but I don’t find watching a show about people playing a card game to be very interesting. Next, there will be people watching other people play video games for fun instead of playing themselves.”

“If they can make it entertaining,” Steve said. “I’d watch that.”

Diana rolled her eyes.

“Of course you will.”

***

When the two weeks were up, Steve’s leave was due to end in a week and a half, and he was anxious to know the results. Diana assured him he still smelled much sweeter than his usual scent, but he wanted to be sure.

In order to do all five tests without waiting, he peed into some Dixie cups and set them on the counter with the tests sitting inside.

They all came out positive.

He and Diana held each other, beaming.

Though he realised this would probably weird some people out, Steve lined up all the tests and took a picture by holding the camera in close to just get the results of all five in one shot. He’d just started an account on FaceBook after enough insistence on Whitney and Hal’s parts, and it seemed a neat way to share the news.

***

Steve took a deep breath and held tight to Diana’s hand while Doctor Reid looked up his passage. It didn’t matter how many times he took a stupid pap test, the whole procedure was uncomfortable. The only thing he could count his blessings on was that, due to his being pregnant, this one was guaranteed not to include a biopsy; those always led to what felt like heat cramps but with a knife and lasted for hours.

“Alright, I’m withdrawing the equipment, now. You can take your legs out of the stirrups, but stay lying down for now.”

Steve sighed with relief and put himself into a more relaxed position on the examination chair.

“So, it’s still too early for an ultrasound, but I’ll want to see you in three weeks for that first ultrasound.” she scribbled a note and handed it to Steve, who passed it to Diana, since she had pockets and he was in a thin gown. “I know you’re military, so it’s very important that you submit this to your CO as soon as possible.” she put on a new pair of gloves.

“I’ll be seeing them on Monday.” Steve assured her.

“Good. Have you had any nausea?”

“No.” Steve shook his head.

“Any change in appetite?” she asked as she prodded at his abdomen.

“No.”

“Any soreness or tenderness when I poke here?”

“No.”

“I’m checking your chest next.” she warned him before prodding him there, as well. “Any soreness or tenderness?”

“No.”

“Probably still too early, but I wanted to be thorough.” she explained as she tossed her gloves. “You can sit up, now, but wait until I’ve completely lowered the chair before trying to stand on the floor.”

“Are the two of you familiar with womb massages?” Doctor Reid asked as Steve sat at the edge of the chair, waiting for it to finish lowering.

“She does them for my heats.” Steve explained.

“Keep them to the back.” Doctor Reid warned. “Until we can be sure that this pregnancy goes off without a hitch, it’s considered high-risk due to past trauma. Avoid lifting anything heavier than ten pounds, that’s combined, not in each hand, try not to bend too much, which basically means you’re gonna have to kiss those abs goodbye a lot sooner than you might have hoped; in short, take it easy. Long walks or even jogging is fine, even recommended, but that’s it.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Steve agreed.

“So I take him out for walks but confine him to video games the rest of the time?” Diana teased, making Steve laugh.

“Do you have a recliner?” Doctor Reid asked.

“No.” Diana said.

“Get one. I know most people playing video games tend to lean forward, but it’ll be best if he can recline, instead. Use a pillow to keep your neck posture straight.” she indicated the correct position.

“Alright, see you in three weeks.” she dismissed them from the examination room.

***

Steve fussed with his dress uniform, trying to make sure everything was straight.

“Steve, you're going to wrinkle it if you don't stop playing with it.” Diana said as she poured him some salted caramel herbal tea to go; it made for an acceptable substitute for the coffee.

“I know. I’ve never thought I'd be here, y’know?” he faced her across the kitchen island. “I thought I'd be doing deployment work for the rest of my career. And while I still could be sent overseas, this position means I’m one of the last people they’ll call for combat. I thought it'd take me a lot of years before I’d make it to this kind of position, if at all.” He brushed some more unseen dust from his jacket. “I guess I just want to make a good impression.”

“You’ll be working directly with Jack.” Diana told him. “He knows what you're like.” she handed him a nondescript black lunch box. “I’ve made those feta greens you like, so you’ll have to find a fridge--”

“Wow, thanks, mom.” Steve teased.

Diana smiled, but then her smile dropped.

“If anyone there says anything about your Alpha making you lunch--”

“I’ll tell them to shove it--”

“Tell Jack.” Diana said seriously. “Society has come a long way so that fewer people are expecting the Omega to be the sole performer of domestic duties, but it doesn’t mean that everyone’s okay with that.”

“I vacuum.” he said, mock-pouting. “And do laundry.”

“But the point is that it’s no one’s business but ours how we choose to divide the housework in our home.” Diana said. “I am happy to be the one to make the meals, especially since I do actually enjoy cooking. If someone makes a remark about it, don’t keep it to yourself.”

“Well, I’m not gonna go to Jack about  _ every _ little remark.” Steve said. “I gotta show I’m willing to stand up for myself, first. I promise I’ll avoid fights, though.” he held a hand to stem the objection Diana was about to make. “I’m not stupid enough to do something that’ll risk our pup.”

Diana walked around the kitchen island and held Steve to her, scenting, and then kissed him as she brought her hand down to his still-flat stomach.

“You’re not stupid.” she told him with a hint of a smile. “I don’t suffer fools gladly.”

Steve smiled back.

“Neither do I. Glad we cleared that up.”

***

General O’Neill was waiting for Steve at the main desk, and handed him a folder.

“This is just to catch you up where we’re at, and the front page has quick notes for you to refer to during the morning meeting. I hope that’s coffee in that mug, you’re gonna need it.”

“Tea, actually. About that,” Steve juggled his mug, lunchbox and folder in one hand while he reached into his pocket with the other, withdrawing Doctor Reid’s note and handing it to Jack.

Jack took a look at it, gave a silent chuckle, then added it to the top of his own folder so he wouldn’t forget it, later.

“You two didn’t waste time.”

“I was due to go off suppressants in four months, anyway.” Steve explained. “Since I was already on leave, figured why not?”

“Indeed. Though the odds of you being sent anywhere were slim to start with since you have to be fully oriented into this department for at least two years, this’ll cement that you stay put. Alright, I’m assuming that,” he pointed at the lunchbox. “Needs to go somewhere, so we’ll head to the staff kitchen, first.”

Jack led him through the building, pointing out things along the way, like his office and Steve’s workstation, which he’d be sharing with a few others.

There were a few people having coffee in the kitchen who stood at attention when Jack and Steve entered the room.

“As you were.” Jack said, and Steve went to place his box in an empty spot in the fridge.

“Meeting’s in ten minutes, hurry up.” Jack said over his shoulder as he led Steve away to the boardroom.

They were the first ones in the room, and Jack offered Steve the seat to his left from the head of the table.

“Now, in formal settings, obviously, rank first. But right now, Steve, I want to speak frankly as, I hope, your friend.”

Steve nodded.

“I take harassment very seriously, here. If anyone says anything to you, by your discretion you can tell them to fuck off, but I hope you’ll relay all incidents to me right away. If I think it warrants it, especially if there are repeat offenses with the same officers, I will be reprimanding them.”

“Am I the first Omega to cross through these doors, sir?” Steve asked.

“The first in a very long time.” Jack explained. “I’ve only been here a couple of years, myself, and we haven’t had any in all that time. I like to think these are all good officers, but, sometimes, there could be things they might say in the locker room that they won’t say in front of me. So, we’ll find out.”

Steve nodded.

“I appreciate that, sir.”

The other officers began filing in for the meeting, and Jack waited until every seat was filled before starting the meeting, complimenting them on making it in with sixty seconds to spare before start time, earning a chuckle from the room.

***

The morning was pretty straightforward. Following the meeting which brought Steve up to speed on what communiqués were priority at the moment, he spent some time listening in to some of the channels alongside the supervisor, who pointed out which voices matched which covernames they had laid out.

When it was time for lunch, Steve’s supervisor told him that after they ate he’d get him to take notes about the monitored conversations without guidance to see how much he’d learned.

“Not to sound crass, but, you got a bun in the oven, Trevor?” the supervisor, Darnell, asked him.

“Yeah.” Steve said, smiling nervously. “Barely a month along, though.”

“That’s why you smell so sweet. How’s your mate liking you working with a bunch of Alphas?”

“She’s fine with it.” Steve said. “As long as they know to keep their hands off.”

“Married man, myself.” Darnell indicated his wedding band as they stepped into the kitchen.

Steve took his box from the fridge and left it on the table while he took the Tupperware container his food was in to stand behind someone else already using the microwave.

“Rabbit food?” the woman sneered.

“There’s chicken in it, too.” Steve said. “My mate cooks it in olive oil and spices, then sprinkles feta cheese on top.”

“Ugh.” she sneered again. “Can’t stand greens.”

She pulled out a bowl of Kraft Dinner from the microwave, though it had hamburger and real cheese added to it.

“Well, to each their own.” Steve said as he put his dish in and microwaved it for just forty-five seconds before mixing it and putting it back for another forty-five seconds, getting the heat it needed without going overkill on the greens.

Steve sat at the chair where he’d placed his box, pulling from it a can of sparkling raspberry juice. It was his way of gradually working off the pop, as this particular brand had less sugar in it but still tasted delicious.

The female officer with the Kraft Dinner, Anderson, Steve noted from her name strip, sat two spots down across the table and looked him up and down.

“I could’ve sworn you were Omega.” she said as she stirred her food.

“I am.” Steve said. “Problem?” he put a forkful of food into his mouth.

“You said your mate makes your food, though.” she frowned. “You homo? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” she rushed to say.

Steve snorted, remembering a Seinfeld episode where the big joke had been saying ‘not that there’s anything wrong with that’ after nearly every reference to homosexuality.

“No, my mate’s an Alpha.” he said as he continued to eat his food.

“And they made your lunch?” she asked, seeming to be honestly baffled by the situation.

“Anderson, back off.” Darnell said. “It’s not the forties, anymore. My mate and I take turns making dinner, and if his mate wants him to have a home-cooked meal for his lunch, I say more power to her.”

Anderson shook her head.

“Wouldn’t happen in my house.” she muttered.

“Well, then I guess we’ve just uncovered the secret of why you’re single.” Darnell said, and most of the other officers in the room laughed, making Steve smile. He was clearly in good company.

“So, Trevor, is this gonna be your first?”

Steve felt his throat swell a little, but bit it back.

“Second, technically. I miscarried the first time.”

“Ah, shit.” Darnell said. “I’m sorry. Well, hopefully this one comes out okay.”

Steve nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Let me know if you need anything. Me and the wife figure we’re done. We got started pretty late, and we’ve got a bunch of new-born things in all sorts of colours; onesies, dresses, shorts and pants, you name it.”

“I’ll probably take you up on that.” Steve smiled. “I tend to get overwhelmed when puppy-shopping. We still have the crib and everything from before, but we hadn’t gotten around to clothes.”

Darnell looked thoughtful.

“You into video games?”

Steve smiled.

“Yeah, I am.”

“My nephew works at a shop in town, sells all kinds of things for gamers, Star Trek people,” he ticked the list off his fingers. “And they’ve even got baby clothes. I’ll get him to send me some pictures and show you tomorrow.”

“That sounds great, thanks!” Steve grinned.

“Better make sure your Alpha’s okay with that, first.” Anderson butted in.

Steve opened his mouth to object, but Darnell was faster.

“So long as they get an equal amount of what each wants to see the pup wearing, it should be easy enough to compromise. Compromise is the key to a long-lasting marriage.”

“What’s he gonna do? Leave?” Anderson said. “Won’t be able to stay long away from his mate, he’ll go insane.”

“It’s not easy being away from your mate,” Darnell said, carefully trying to head off what was brewing to be trouble. “At least at first, but you adjust. My brother left his mate and he eventually managed to figure things out.”

“Is your brother an Omega?” Anderson asked.

Darnell sighed.

“Yes, he is.”

“Why’d he leave his Alpha?”

“Because his Alpha’s an abusive piece of shit who shouldn’t be trusted to take care of a pet rock.” Darnell said.

“What did your brother do that pissed his Alpha off that much?”

Steve decided to bite his tongue this time, because Anderson had just made her presentist judgements personal for Darnell.

“My brother pissed off his Alpha by being a human being with a mind of his own instead of a subservient robot for his Alpha to stick his knot into.” Darnell growled. “And if I ever hear you talking about Omegas like that again, you’d better hope to God I don’t hit your knot with a sledgehammer.”

Anderson opened her mouth to answer back, but then looked up and down the table and realised she was outnumbered in her opinions, judging by the glares pointed her way. She took her food and left the room.

“Sorry about cutting you off,” Darnell turned to Steve. “But I figured she’d be more likely to listen to me, given her views. Not to mention you're probably not itching for a fight on your first day.”

“Has she always been like that?” Steve asked, disgusted.

“Never realised she was that bad.” Darnell said. “She brags about her one-night stands, but… yeesh.”

Steve felt like, after all that, he could tell Darnell the truth. He leaned in and said in a low voice:

“There was someone like her, at my last posting.” Steve said. “Told her ‘no’ too many times to count, and when the base colonel finally realised how serious it was and reprimanded her…” he stopped, swallowing the swelling in his throat. “She’s the reason I lost my pup.”

Darnell turned pink, then red, then a reddish-purple.

“If Anderson so much as looks at you the wrong way, let me know.” he said seriously.

“That goes for the rest of us, too.” said someone else with captain’s insignia; a redhead who Steve recognised from the morning meeting. “I don’t know what kind of world Anderson thinks she lives in, but we all have Omega friends and family members and we sure as hell wouldn’t tolerate them being treated like that. You’re on our team, now, which means anyone who doesn’t treat you as a member of the team had better get packing.”

Steve smiled. Things seemed to be consistently looking up.

“Thanks, everyone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired to make the Alphas at Steve's new posting kind of close ranks around him based on something told to me by one of my instructors when I was taking an employment aid program last year around this time. She used to work for a company where all her co-workers were guys. However, she had proven herself enough at her job that they just treated her like she was one of them. But this was the type of job where they would have conferences to discuss with others in the same field, and sometimes the people from other companies _would_ treat her differently. When that happened, her co-workers would close ranks around her, basically communicating "She's one of us. Back off."  
>  I also imagine that Anderson kinda gets on everyone's nerves because she's still acting like a college freshman when most of them have "grown up" or at least dropped their douchey aspects because they realised it was douchey.
> 
> I've uploaded early since the chapter was ready to go in order to fully dive in and commit to getting my apartment ready so that my family can be ready to move out ASAP. We've already got out eyes on a place which would suit our needs, though it's more expensive than we hoped. However, for the insane pricing of a University town, it's actually pretty good. After we move I'm going to be looking for another job, as well, because I'm not getting enough hours at the gallery. Wish me good luck!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's second pregnancy is a bit harsher, but it clears up pretty quick.  
> Anderson's a crazy bitch.  
> Don't mess with Steve unless you want angry Alpha Diana to completely wreck your shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, on top of getting ready to move, we're most likely going to have to put down our older cat. She's nearly fifteen and not doing well.
> 
> 2018 seems to enjoy fucking with me...

Diana was worried upon learning that Steve had to encounter such blatant presentism on his first day, but relieved to know that Steve had people besides Jack looking out for him.

She continued making sure he had prepared, healthy lunches every day of the week, and left him little love-notes as a joke. Their relationship wasn’t the type that needed that kind of thing, but she had a hunch that Anderson was the type who would be annoyed by overly-lovey displays of affection, especially as she seemed to think it was backwards for Diana to be the one offering the words to Steve. Inside a building with the type of high-security the counter-intelligence office possessed, as well as the rest of the team making sure Steve wasn’t ever in a situation where he might be alone with Anderson, it only felt right to show off a little. It was also a way of saying ‘this man is my mate, I care for him very deeply, and if you ever lay a finger on him, you will regret it.’

Sure enough, Steve rose to the occasion of proudly looking at the notes with a smile on his face and then letting Darnell tease him about them, knowing it was all in good fun. It had been going on for nearly a month, and was still funny.

“What’s on, today, Trevor?” Darnell plucked the note from the table. “‘I feel pleasantly lethargic as I imagine our pup, soundly resting, unaware it nestles within the best Omega to have ever existed. I shall be forever thankful that you chose to be my mate.’ Man, that woman can sure turn a phrase.”

“She makes it sound like you propositioned her.” Anderson said bitterly.

“I did.” Steve said before taking a bite of his herb-fried chicken.

“She’d have been a fool to say no.” Darnell grinned.

“I’m surprised she was able to get you preggers at all.” Anderson said. “Sounds like she’s missing her balls.”

Steve opened his mouth to say something, but switched gears as he noticed Diana emerging from the doorway.

“Oh, trust me, she’s got balls.” Steve smirked.

Diana quickly made her way to Anderson, taking hold of her wrist and bringing it behind her back, using her weight on her whole arm to pin Anderson forward against the table. Some of the officers looked as though they were about to do something, but then stopped when they realised this was Steve’s mate, establishing her dominance over someone who had been bothering him. Any one of them would have done the same for theirs.

“A coward who thinks herself above Omegas should have her balls cut.” Diana growled. “I hear you’ve been disrespecting my mate. I know he can fight his own battles, but, since I happened to be in the building, I thought it was high time we met. Hi, Steve.” she changed her tone to bright and cheery as she greeted her mate.

“Hiya, honey.” Steve grinned back at her.

“The general and I just finished discussing another U.N. tour for Omega rights.” she said casually, while still pressing Anderson down, who was grunting with the effort of trying to push back, but lacked the leverage.

“How long would you be gone?” he asked, pouting.

“Two months, though we won’t be leaving for another five while they finalise where we’ll be appearing. But, if you’d be willing, you could accompany us? Five-star treatment while in the last trimester just before your leave starts?”

“Do I have to write a speech?” Steve said it like a fifth-graded not pleased with their homework load.

“Well, the U.N. wouldn’t take too kindly to you simply tagging along, not to mention you wouldn’t get paid for the two-month vacation unless you’re there for a reason other than keeping me company.”

“Ugh, fine.” Steve conceded, but he was smiling.

“Now,” Diana turned her attention back to Anderson. “While we’re gone, do try to brush up on proper interpersonal etiquette. It’s really unbecoming of a military officer to act like a bully. You’re supposed to be a representative of your country to defend against those who would threaten the balance of peace. Act accordingly.”

She finally let Anderson up and walked right over to Steve, letting her hands brush his shoulders before leaning down to give him a hug and kiss his cheek, letting her hand wander a bit lower to his still-flat stomach.

“How is my lovely mate, today?” she asked as she nuzzled his temple.

“Feeling pretty awesome.” Steve told her, trying not to laugh at Anderson’s red face as he turned to get a small kiss.

“Hmm.” Diana smiled and kissed him again before straightening up and running her fingers through his hair as he beamed like a cat under the attention.

“I know my Steven well enough to know he would never wander.” Diana said aloud to the room. “So I’d better not hear of anyone making advances or bothering him in any other way.”

“Consider me your eyes and ears, ma’am.” Darnell assured her with a grin. “I’m his supervisor, and I like to think we’re becoming friends.”

Diana smiled at him.

“You must be the man who offered the puppy clothing.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Hmm.” she continued to smile. “I’ll see you, tonight.” she kissed Steve’s hair and walked away slowly, trailing her hand along his shoulders, and he briefly grasped her hand in his before she was too far.

“I gotta call my wife from work more often.” Darnell shook his head at himself. “I miss those early days of cloud nine.”

Steve laughed.

“Never underestimate the simplicity of cuddling on the couch and watching old cartoons together. I got her to watch Ninja Tutles with me while we ate pizza straight from the box. Now, if ever I can find some videos of Bucky O’Hare, that’d be awesome.”

“Bucky what?” Darnell asked.

“For cryin’ out loud.” Steve groaned. “I know I didn’t dream that show up, but every time I bring it up, even to people my age, it’s like no one’s ever heard of it. He’s a green bunny from another dimension who fights the evil toad empire.”

Darnell shrugged.

“Never heard of it.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

***

The first month had gone by with only some inconvenient nausea. One morning, however…

“Steven?” Diana called through the bathroom door. “Are you alright?”

The answer was another sound of dry-heaving, followed by the sound of liquid projectile hitting the inside of the toilet bowl.

“Should I call Darnell to let him know you’re not going to work?”

“Wait--” More dry-heaving.

Diana sighed.

“I’m going finish getting ready. I’ll come back to check on you.”

Steve let out a weak thank you, which he realised Diana probably didn’t hear.

***

“What if you get hungry later?” Diana asked him.

“I’ll look forward to your amazing cooking when I get home.” Steve assured her. “But I’m not taking any chances, so nutrition-supplement plus extra protein and naan bread it is.”

Diana hugged him and kissed his temple.

Everyone at work stared when they saw Steve’s lunch.

“Didja piss her off?” Darnell asked.

“Nah, I still got my little note.” Steve said, brandishing the sticky with a thin smile. “I lost about five pounds in stomach contents this morning.”

“Ah, shit. That's tough.” Darnell replied.

“I didn't want to take any chances, so I’m having this for lunch to avoid needing another extended bathroom break. I get my nutrients for me and puppy, but don't have more stuff than my stomach can handle at once.”

“Probably a good call. Let me know if you need the time off.”

Steve shrugged.

“I was feeling better an hour later, even if it wasn't a hundred percent.”

***

The next morning didn’t go much better. Diana proceeded to plan their evening meals accordingly to be sure Steve was getting everything he needed and keeping his weight up.

***

Four months into Steve’s pregnancy, the nausea had lessened, and Diana discovered the delight of cooking with sesame seed oil.

“I could die right now and be totally fine.” Steve said as he ate; Diana had made pot stickers and jap chae. “This is the best.” he practically moaned as he ate.

“I should try some of this on my mother’s recipes.” Diana said, equally enjoying herself.

After supper, they cuddled into the bed, which they had turned into a rather comfy nest over the months since Steve’s pregnancy. They had set up some special pillows so that Steve could use the doctor’s recommended positioning while either watching movies or playing games.

They started with watching a movie, but Diana started getting increasingly affectionate, and Steve would be lying if he said it wasn’t easy to get him riled up at this stage of his pregnancy. He moaned happily as Diana kissed him and carefully caressed his chest, which was getting increasingly sensitive.

After wrestling to remove their pajamas, Steve let out a heavy sigh.

“Maybe we just shouldn’t bother with pajamas anymore?” Steve said as Diana crawled over him. “Get home, get naked.”

She laughed, licked one nipple, and then the other, making Steve moan again.

Diana was more careful with Steve than during his first pregnancy, the doctor’s words near to heart. She would thrust into him more slowly, try not to jostle him if she needed to speed up, and jack him to completion if he started getting antsy. It could seem tedious, but the end result of having satisfied Steve into a boneless, pliant mess on the bed was always worth it.

***

“Going travelling, Mr. Trevor?” Doctor Reid confirmed as she set up the equipment for the ultrasound.

“Yeah, a pro-Omega rights for the U.N. Diana’s done it, before, but this time I get to go and tell my story, too.”

“That’s good work.” she sounded as though he approval of Diana went up.

“It’s how we met, actually.” Steve smiled up at Diana, earning a smile in return as doctor Reid applied the goop. _I should use that in my speech;_ _‘Alphas, we Omegas find it hot when you see us as people.’_

Doctor Reid hummed her acknowledgement of what he said, smiling, as she started scanning his belly.

“Seems to be a good size. See that flutter?” she pointed. “That’s the heart.”

“We’re going to have to consider the possibilities of you delivering by C-section.” Doctor Reid continued. “So far, everything looks good, but we can’t dismiss any possibility. I’ll have a list of the best surgeons ready for you closer to the date.”

“You’re really hands-on with it, huh, doc?” Steve noted.

“I have to be.” she said grimly. “Here’s the heartbeat.” she said quickly, changing the subject. Steve and Diana both listened happily to the sound of their pup’s beating heart, but Steve kept what the doctor said tucked close by.

Luckily, after the ultrasound was concluded, Diana had to take a call, which gave Steve his opening.

“Why do you have to be hands-on?” he asked the doctor.

“Because people can get hurt. Not everyone follows their oath to do no harm.”

Steve swallowed.

“Sounds like you’ve encountered that.”

“My sire was arrested three years ago. He never got over the fact that my mother left him, apparently, so he took it upon himself to purposely mutilate any Omega patient that passed under his knife.”

Steve felt his stomach churn at the thought, and put his arms around his middle, as though to shield his pup.

“I was already in medical school when I heard, and switched my specialty to obstetrics.” Doctor Reid explained, her mood clearly soured. “Someone needs to watch for people like him.”

Steve swallowed.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. He’s the one who should be sorry, and he never will be.” Doctor Reid rolled her chair over and placed a hand on his belly. “That’s why I do this. Because people like you and your mate are good people trying to expand your family and I’ll be damned if any patient of mine ends up hurt because I didn’t look into all the possibilities.”

Steve smiled.

“Thanks.”

***

Six months into the pregnancy, Steve was feeling pretty optimistic. He was ahead of where his first pregnancy had been abruptly ended. It felt good, in spite of his needing to wear what felt like clown pants.

One night, after he and Diana were feeling the post-coital bliss, he felt it.

“Holy shit.” his eyes grew wide.

“Steve? What’s wrong?” Diana was at full alert.

Steve smiled.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

He took Diana’s hand and placed it on his belly. He felt the movement again, and Diana gasped.

“Hello, darling.” she whispered, voice full of emotion, her eyes wet with tears. She kissed Steve’s belly and began caressing it as she started whispering in Greek. Steve understood some of the words, such as ‘love’ and ‘mother,’

Tears rolled down Steve’s cheeks, as he smiled at his mate. Life felt good.

***

People at work started getting more hands-on the later Steve’s pregnancy went on.

It seemed he didn’t have to worry about doors, anymore, because the nearest officer always rushed to open it.

Darnell chuckled as he told Steve that he was used to seeing officers try to work through minor colds, but now everyone was using their sick days for the slightest thing to make sure they wouldn’t make Steve sick, knowing he couldn’t take anything for it.

“Any idea what it is, yet?” Was the question he got asked the most, or some variation thereof.

Steve was getting a bit annoyed at being constantly asked, so he decided to have some fun.

“Whatcha havin’?”

“A dragon. I’m mainly worried about the egg breaking on the way out.”

“Know what it’s gonna be?”

“An Eldritch horror. Those tentacles feel a- _ ma- _ zing.”

“What are you hoping for?”

“That it knows how to use a signal.”

“Quite the little attention whore, huh?”

Steve didn’t bother turning around.

“Leave me alone, Anderson.”

“People used to listen to me talk all the time. And then you showed up, and suddenly I’m the bad guy.”

“People didn’t listen to you talk, Anderson.” Darnell intervened. “You just didn’t know when to shut up. Trust me, no one ever cared about your sexual adventures. This ain’t college, where we brag about how many times we got laid while passing the bong around.”

“Now I’ve got Minnie the Moocher stuck in my head.” Steve joked.

“You’re too young to know that song.” Darnell teased.

“I watched Blues Brothers!” Steve protested.

“Blues Bro--? Ah, hell, no. I’m gonna track down old Betty Boop cartoons, and you can see where the song came from.”

Steve laughed.

“You’re kidding, right? That song was in a Betty Boop cartoon?”

“Let’s put it this way, youngin’, have you ever watched any Betty Boop, or have you just seen Roger Rabbit?”

Steve opened his mouth and closed it again.

“That’s what I thought. I’ll ask around, see if I can find some. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think Anderson and I should go have a little chat with the general.”

Anderson’s eyes widened as Darnell signalled for her to follow.

General O’Neill was on the phone when Darnell walked Anderson into his office.

“Hang on, I’ll call you back, Carter.” he hung up. “Problem?”

“Apparently, Anderson have a problem with Trevor getting ‘too much’ attention.” Darnell explained.

“In what way is this affecting you, exactly?” O’Neill turned to Anderson.

“I’ve been working here for five years, and then he shows up and suddenly everyone’s mad at me!” Anderson exclaimed.

“Well, I wonder why that is.” Darnell drawled. “First day you started on how his relationship with his Alpha is backwards just because she made him lunch. And that’s just a sample of the presentist attitude she’s been showing him.”

Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Anderson, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but, apparently, you need to be told: It’s nobody’s business how people decide to conduct their relationships. The only time you should ever speak up is if you suspect there’s domestic abuse. How Captain Trevor and his mate decide to live their lives is entirely up to them. It’s the twenty-first century, deal with it. And if ever again I hear you moaning and complaining like you’re a pup who’s not getting their way, we’re gonna have to have a serious discussion over why you’re even in the army. Dismissed.”

Anderson saluted and left, clearly pissed off.

Darnell sighed heavily.

“Keep an eye on her, Phil.” Jack warned.

“I’ve got two, Jack.” Darnell promised. “Trevor told me what happened to his first pup. I’ll be damned if I let something like that happen on my watch.”

***

Steve was sitting up in bed with his laptop, going over his speech for the U.N. tour. He’d read it out, find something that he realised didn’t sound quite right, or was too detailed, and change it.

Diana was working late, getting everything ready for the two months they’d be away.

Steve smiled as his pup began to kick, making the laptop move slightly.

“Daddy’ll be home, soon.” he told his pup, rubbing the side of his belly.

The door buzzer went off, and Steve groaned as he put his laptop aside, grunting with effort as he got out of bed.

“You’re making moving a lot harder.” he told his pup.

“Hello?” he said after picking up the receiver.

“ _ I’ve got a package for a Mr. Trevor _ ?” a female, southern drawl from the other end of the line.

It was way too late for deliveries.

“I haven’t ordered anything.” He clicked on the option to look through the security camera placed just above the microphone on the outside.

Adrianna Anderson. And she wasn’t even holding a box. Steve clicked on the recording option.

“ _ It’s got the name Steve Trevor is all I know _ .” she said.

“Can you just leave it there? I’m not decent and all my stuff’s in the wash.”

“ _ You need to sign for it, sir. _ ”

“Which delivery company are you with? I can pick it up, later.”

“ _ We’ll have to return to sender if you don’t take it, sir. _ ”

“Well, then sender will have to try again if it’s important. I haven’t ordered anything and I’m not opening the door.”

“ _ Sorry you feel that way, sir. _ ”

Steve waited, expecting her to give up and walk away. Instead, he watched as she ran her finger down the full row of buttons and pulled the door open.

“Fuck!”

Steve dashed for the door and made sure the chain was across and deadbolt secure before running for the phone and dialling 911.

“ _ 911, what’s your emergency? _ ”

“I’m at 1155 23rd street, northwest. There’s an intruder in my building. She tried to trick me into opening the door claiming she had a package, but my building has a camera to observe visitors, and I could see she was lying. She managed to get the door open, anyway, and--”

His heart lurched as he heard the doorknob rattle.

“And now she’s trying to open my apartment door.”

“ _ We’ll have someone over as soon as possible. Can you tell if the intruder is armed? _ ”

“I’m not sure. If she is, it would be a small weapon, something she could conceal.”

“ _ Officers have been dispatched. Do you have a safe space you can hide in? _ ”

Steve thought of climbing into the space above the closet, then looked down at his belly.

“If I wasn’t close to eight months pregnant, I would. I’m a little limited in my options, right now.”

Steve looked out the peephole. Anderson was there, fiddling with the lock. He backed away before telling the operator.

“ _ Officers are nearly at your location. _ ”

“I’m gonna have a handgun with me.” Steve said in a hushed voice.

“ _ I’ll inform the officers. _ ”

Steve retrieved his handgun from the hall closet and started slamming doors; hall closet, bathroom, bedroom, guestroom. Then Steve went back to the bedroom, closed the door silently, and went onto the balcony.

He’d never officially met the person living next door, but figured his chances with them were better than with Anderson.

The balcony was surrounded by metal bars, painted white. Taller ones separated him and his neighbour.

He put the phone to his ear.

“I’m going to put the phone in my pocket, but keep it on speakerphone. I’m going to try to get to my neighbour’s apartment.”

“ _ Understood. _ ”

He tucked the phone and his gun into the pocket of his bathrobe, and peered through as close as he could get.

There was a dark-skinned man sitting in a recliner watching TV. He was at the right angle that if Steve could find something to get his attention with, he’d see it.

Dashing back into the bedroom, Steve grabbed a flashlight from a drawer Diana kept stocked with emergency items and quickly tested it before going back to the balcony.

Taking aim, Steve clicked the flashlight on and off repeatedly until the man looked up, then signalled for him to come over.

“Strange way to say hello to your neighbour.” the man said, slightly annoyed.

“I know, but I gotta hide. There’s someone who’s trying to get into my apartment and I don’t know how long the cops are gonna take to get here.”

The man frowned, then his eyes widened.

“I heard the door buzzer, but just for a second.”

“Yeah, that was her.”

“I can’t move this gate.” he said, looking genuinely worried.

“I know, I just need you to help me while I climb over.”

The man’s eyes looked as though they might bulge out of his sockets.

“If you fall--”

“I gotta try. I just need you to help me a bit.”

“Okay. But be careful.”

Steve went over to the railing nearest the divider, and tried not to focus on the ground.

_ I am not losing this one. _ He told himself stubbornly.  _ This life is me and Diana and they  _ will _ see the light of day. They will grow and take their first steps and learn their first words and I’ll cry like a sap when they go to school and if anyone bullies them I will fuck. Them. Up. _

He kept going through the list of what his pup’s life would be like, all the firsts, as he carefully hefted himself backwards to sit on the rail. He held on tight as he turned himself over, planting his heels firmly onto the two inches of cement that reached past the railing. He inched himself over, always keeping one hand clamped to the railing at all times. He got past the barrier.

“I don’t wanna surprise you,” his neighbour said. “So I’m warning you: I’m gonna link my arms around under yours and help get you over.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Steve said gratefully.

It was a bit slow. He barely had enough upper arm strength to carry himself anymore, but his neighbour held him steady as he pushed up, and then he was sitting on the rail, and his neighbour didn’t let go once as he turned himself around and manage to plant his feet onto his neighbour’s balcony.

“You alright?” the man asked.

“Yeah.” Steve said shakily. He took out the phone. “I’m on my neigbour’s balcony, now.”

“ _ Do you know if the intruder has entered your apartment? _ ”

Steve was about to answer that he didn’t know, but then he heard his bedroom door burst open, and light spilled through his sliding door.

“Yup.” he answered as his neighbour herded him inside and quickly made sure as many lights were off as possible.

The man led him to a bedroom and they locked the door before pushing a large, solid wood wardrobe in front of the door.

“You and your mate drug dealers?” the man joked as he sat down on the floor next to the wardrobe, maintaining a respective distance as he realised that being alone with a strange Alpha in a bedroom would probably be nerve-wracking for an already tense Omega.

“I’m military intelligence and my mate works for the U.N. in humanitarian efforts.”

“So, is sneaky a spy?”

“Nope, a pissed-off co-worker who thinks I should be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen making my mate a sandwich instead of working intelligence enjoying the homemade meals my mate makes for my lunch.”

“Pfft!” the man said, looking incredulous. “What does your co-worker do? Spend a fortune on takeout because she’s not adult enough to cook her own damn food?”

“She makes Kraft Dinner, but, yeah: a lot of her food is either quick meals or leftover takeout.”

“And she’s taking it out on you?”

“She’s taking out the fact that since she’s a presentist asshole and the Betas and other Alphas at work have taken it upon themselves to treat me as their little brother, she’s been kind of ostracized from ‘the group.’” he used air-quotes.

“Wow.” the man said sarcastically. “It’s almost as though being an asshole made people think less of you or something. Who would have guessed?”

Steve chuckled.

“I’m Steve, by the way.”

“Ted. I’m a dentist.”

“Well, I figured a building like this had to have at least one.” Steve joked. “Dentists, doctors, stock brokers. The works.”

Ted laughed quietly. They had both been keeping their voices low, just in case.

And then, they heard it. The lovely sound of sirens.

Steve took out the phone.

“I hear sirens.”

“ _ I’ll keep in touch to let you know when the intruder has been apprehended. _ ”

***

Unfortunately, Anderson had the intelligence to run as soon as she heard the sirens. The police searched, but she had the training to stay invisible.

Diana nearly went berserk when arrived and the police were in the process of questioning Steve, as well as getting the building super to retrieve the camera footage.

“If I find that  _ skatophage _ I swear I will--”

“Ma’am, I am advising you not to finish that sentence.” One of the officers cut her off. “While I find you completely in the right to be angry, I’d rather not have to come back here looking for a murder suspect. Think of your mate, he needs you, especially this far in his pregnancy.”

Diana growled but didn’t say anything.

Once the police had left, Ted kindly offered that he’d check on them in the morning, as he could tell that Diana didn’t want any company around at the moment.

Diana started with the bathroom to relieve herself to alleviate the urge to mark the perimeter of the apartment, then sniffed very carefully at their bed to be certain that it still smelled like them and no one else, before bundling Steve under layers of blankets and making sure he was as comfortable as possible. Steve didn’t say anything, still tense, waiting patiently for Diana to finish what she needed to do to secure everything.

She came back after a bit and held him to her for scenting, and Steve broke. Diana held him through it, assuring him that he was safe and how brave he was, waiting until the worst of it was over.

“The lock is compromised, and the chain is broken.” Diana told him. “We’ll take the blankets so you have something familiar-scented, but we need to go to a hotel.”

“Call Jack.” Steve said flatly. “Anderson is trained military, this is the kind of thing we need to bring him in on. Considering we’re supposed to be leaving in a couple of weeks, anyway, maybe Jack would want us to bunk with him, and they can have MPs guarding the place.”

Diana kissed his temple.

“Alright. Would you rather speak with him?”

Steve shook his head and brought his arms around his belly.

“I’m talked out from answering the cops’ questions.”

Diana kissed his temple again.

“Alright.” she said again, then took out her phone to make the call.

Steve didn’t hear the conversation. He took laptop from the nightstand, and brought it out of sleep mode. The document of his U.N. speech was still up. He wasn’t going to mention Minerva’s attack, but now, he had to.

He hadn’t wanted to, because he didn’t want the pity of the people who would hear it.

But he realised, now, this wasn’t just about him.

If he could have not one, but  _ two _ crazed Alphas come after him, not to mention his controlling father, what might other people be going through? Maybe they were being silent, because they thought no one cared enough, or, like him, they didn’t want anyone’s pity.

But this wasn’t about pity.

He had to tell them about Minerva.

He had to tell them about Anderson.

He had to tell them about his father.

Because it would put other people on guard. People like the ones he worked with who knew to keep an eye on Anderson.

People like Whitney and Hal who knew Minerva was trouble and flanked him to keep her away.

People like Jack who made the phone call way back to start the steps to try to keep Minerva away from him.

When more people like Diana stood up, it would take away the power of people like his father.

When Diana finished talking with Jack, she didn’t disturb Steve. He was typing away as though on automatic. Instead, she quietly packed things up and got them ready to go by the front door. When she was finished, Steve continued for another ten minutes before he finally stopped.

“A guarded escort will be coming to get us to bring us to Jack’s house. We’ll also have full escort when it’s time to leave for the tour, and Jack has declared to to be officially on leave.”

Steve nodded and swallowed.


End file.
